CommonScape
by Griffin1
Summary: A Crossover Fic. Andromeda meets Farscape. (Complete!)
1. Introduction

Commonscape By: Griffin Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me. Note: As I have not seen any recent Andromeda episodes this story has been written using season two characters. Summary: The crew of the Andromeda emerge from slipstream in a system that is not on their maps and where things are not as they are supposed to be.  
  
The Battle:  
  
"You're really going to let her have a shot at piloting, after what happened the last time she was in that chair?" Tyr asked pointing to Trance sitting in the slip-pilot's chair on the Andromeda.  
  
"She told me that last time was an accident. How could she have possibly sent us into the past on purpose?" Beka asked as she shrugged.  
  
"Very well," Tyr said as he walked back over to the weapon's console. "But remember, when we find ourselves fighting another Nietzschean fleet from hundreds of years ago, I warned you."  
  
"Take us in, Trance," Captain Hunt instructed and took hold of the command console as Trance powered up the slipstream engines.  
  
"Translating into slipstream in five.four.three.slip drives grabbing hold.one.translation!" Trance announced as the ship jumped into the slipstream and began sailing along the chords.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Aeryn flew her prowler around the large asteroid and bore in for another run at the attacking destroyer.  
  
Crais and Talyn were distracting the ship's main weapons systems and the destroyer's prowler squadron while Aeryn tried to get a good hit on the ship's command deck.  
  
"Aeryn, we could really use your guns back here!" John announced from his own prowler. The second fighter was engaged in a one-on-one dual with a Peacekeeper fighter.  
  
John was a pilot but wasn't used to the controls of the Peacekeeper vessel. Now that they were in battle, he was glad that they had been able to steal it from the last drift they had visited, even though it had attracted the attention of the destroyer they were now trying to fight off.  
  
John now regretted sending Dargo back to Luxon territory to try and convince them to send a war-fleet to escort them back to the warrior nation's borders. The Luxon's fighter would be an immense help against the Peacekeepers.  
  
"John, Aeryn, one of the fighters has broken off and is bearing down on Moya!" Chiana announced over the coms.  
  
The large, unarmed transport had been hiding among several of the larger asteroids when the attack had begun. It was only her brownish exterior and the newly installed stealth suites that had kept the destroyer from detecting and destroying the living ship before John and Aeryn had launched.  
  
The lone fighter drove toward the large transport, firing its plasma cannon wildly in an attempt to clear its path of asteroids.  
  
The pilot was so busy trying to make sure he didn't hit a rock that he didn't see his sensor alarm announcing that Aeryn was right behind him and had locked on with one of John's primitive chemical driven, exterior mounted missiles.  
  
The rocket lashed out from its launcher and Aeryn watched as it dodged stray asteroids to pursue its target. When the warhead impacted on the prowler hull, the explosion was huge, vaporizing many nearby asteroids.  
  
"Down to two prowlers," Aeryn announced as she turned her fighter toward one of the last two prowlers.  
  
"One!" John announced as his plasma cannon ripped his target apart. "I'll turn in on the destroyer. Looks like Crais could use a little help."  
  
"I'll get that last prowler!" Aeryn announced as she dodged a shot from the destroyer.  
  
Suddenly a brilliant flash lit up the battle space and all combat stopped as a warship as large as a command carrier emerged as if from a starburst.  
  
The pilot of the prowler didn't wait for orders from the destroyer and immediately began firing on the enormous vessel.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"We're being fired on!" Tyr announced almost as soon as the translation from slipstream had been completed.  
  
"I'm reading plasma weapons signatures and chemical residue from rockets," Andromeda reported as she automatically switched into battle mode. "It seems we have walked into a pirate attack on a transport. One unarmed vessel hiding among the asteroids, three fighters, one corvette and one destroyer class vessel are present."  
  
"Can you determine who is who?" Dylan Hunt asked as he looked over the data.  
  
"It seems the fighter that has fired on us belongs to the destroyer and the other three are together. Communications networks link the corvette, two fighters and transport together, though they are extremely tight band and I can't seem to penetrate them," Andromeda announced.  
  
"Take out that fighter and contact the transport and destroyer. Tell them not to fire on us. Once they see what we can do, I doubt they will try to take us out," Dylan announced.  
  
Tyr locked onto the small fighter and launched a pair of missiles. The drives on the missiles lit up and the tracking sensors followed the evasive patterns of the fighter.  
  
The unfortunate pilot of the tiny ship could only evade one missile and his ship exploded as the interceptor missile detonated on the vessel's hull, leaving nothing of the ship left.  
  
"Dylan, the transport has replied, though it took my translators a minute to pick out the language. It's not in my banks. The pilot indicates that his ships will not fire on ours. The destroyer, however, has not responded to our attempts to hail them." Beka reported from the communications panel.  
  
"Dylan, the corvette and fighters have broken off from the destroyer and are returning to the transport. The destroyer has turned its attention on us. Their weapons are charging and I'm ready heavy sensor contact," Tyr reported as he began acquiring locks on the vessel.  
  
"Warn them one more time, Rommie. Tyr, if they don't stand down, open fire," Dylan ordered.  
  
"With pleasure," Tyr said with a grin as he refined his targeting data.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Commander, the other warship has ordered us not to fire on them again!" The communications officer aboard the Peacekeeper destroyer Hallivale announced.  
  
"Give no response. Weapons, I want a full spread of frag cannon fire on that vessel. The leviathans and prowlers can wait."  
  
"Aye, captain, frag cannons locked and firing!"  
  
A volley of four frag shells lashed out from the guns of the Hallivale and Captain Benicio watched as the shells flew toward the warship. Two shells were intercepted by missiles and a third by point-defense cannons. The fourth managed to slip through the defensive fire and impact on the hull. The shell exploded, but a weapon that could destroy half of a leviathan took out very little of the ship's hull.  
  
"Sir, return fire inbound. Looks like a dozen missiles. Plasma cannons are tracking and preparing to fire. Defense screen took damage when the armed leviathan was firing on us," the weapons officer announced.  
  
Twelve missiles were launched from the new warship, seven were destroyed by plasma fire, one was blinded by jamming systems, one was diverted by a last minute decoy and one slammed into an asteroid that hadn't been accounted for.  
  
The last two reached the defense screen and one exploded far out of range of the Hallivale. The last missile, however, reached attack range and Benicio gripped his command console as the missile slammed into his port side, taking out a large portion of his plasma point-defense cannons.  
  
"Sir, damage to levels three, four, five and seven. We've lost almost eighty percent of our point-defense cannons to port. However, we still have all frag cannons on that side and offensive plasma cannons," the ship's chief engineer announced.  
  
"Move into plasma range but keep us behind the asteroids so they can't get another volley off!" Benicio ordered as his destroyer began to moved closer to the much larger warship. * * * * * *  
  
"Dylan, only one missile hit." Andromeda reported. "Their point-defense is more effective than I anticipated."  
  
"They're moving in closer. Should I give them a heavier volley?" Tyr asked as he pre-loaded another two dozen missile tubes.  
  
"No. They're probably moving into range of their heavier weapons. Let's oblige them. Charge the particle cannons and prepare to fire," Dylan ordered and Andromeda acknowledged. * * * * * *  
  
The two ships moved closer to each other, neither firing at the other. But when the peacekeeper warship reached plasma cannon range Captain Benicio opened fire.  
  
The volley that would have torn a leviathan or smaller ship apart, did relatively light damage. The frag shells took out sizeable chunks of the warship's hull but the plasma cannons only scratched into the armor of the vessel.  
  
But the Hallivale only got off one broadside before the Andromeda returned fire.  
  
The Andromeda Ascendant was armed with heavy particle cannons. Cannons that were meant to tear through a Nietzschean destroyer at point-blank range. Cannons that were less kind on the tiny destroyer than the missiles had been.  
  
All that was left of the vessel was a handful of escape pods that had managed to escape the explosion of the ship's powerplants and unused ordinance. * * * * * *  
  
John had watched the Hallivale's attack on the newcomer from the command deck of Moya and was now very glad that he hadn't turned to fire on the ship. That vessel could have easily torn apart both prowlers, Talyn and Moya.  
  
"Pilot, has the new ship contacted us at all?" Aeryn asked as she arrived on the command deck. She had watched the combat from her prowler and was also glad she hadn't turned to attack the newcomer.  
  
"No, though when she did she seemed to be confused by our transmissions at first. It's as if that ship also has a pilot."  
  
"Do you think it could be another Peacekeeper hybrid?" Chiana asked as she looked at the vessel on Moya's viewscreen.  
  
"I don't believe so, Chiana. That vessel is nearly four times larger than any known leviathan has ever been recorded. And to merge it with the extensive weaponry it appears to have would be nearly impossible," Pilot announced.  
  
"Give me a line to that ship's captain," John instructed. "And tell Crais to hang back until we can figure out a plan."  
  
"Of course, John."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Dylan, the transport is hailing us and the corvette is moving behind to a defensive posture," Rommie announced as she brought the ship down to yellow alert.  
  
"Put it on the main screen," Dylan instructed and moments later the image of a human in a flight suit filled his screen. "I'm Captain Dylan Hunt of the System's Commonwealth. This is my ship the Andromeda Ascendant. How can we help you?"  
  
"I'm Commander John Crichton. This is Moya. First off I'd like to thank you for taking out that Peacekeeper ship. I don't think we could have done it alone."  
  
"No problem," Dylan said casually. "All we did was return fire."  
  
"Well, whatever. Next you can tell me how you managed to starburst into this system. Is your ship a leviathan hybrid or something?" Crichton asked.  
  
"She is a heavy cruiser equipped with standard slip-drive technology. What is a leviathan?" Dylan asked, confused.  
  
"This is a leviathan," the other man reported. "A bio-mechanoid, half- machine half-living."  
  
"I don't believe I've ever heard of those, nor am I making the connection between having a leviathan and having slip-technology."  
  
"Your 'slip-technology' is not a common thing around these parts. Only leviathans are able to use anything like it. Most ships have to travel the normal way, through space."  
  
"I see," Dylan said as he leaned on his command console. "Why don't you and your crew come aboard later for dinner? We can discuss these matters more then."  
  
"Actually, my crew would prefer not to remain here for too long. There is a Peacekeeper task force in the region, which has a lot more firepower than that destroyer," Commander Crichton announced. "And while I'm sure your ship could take out a good portion of a task force, there are three separate command carriers and a dozen battleships in this particular group."  
  
"Very well," Dylan conceded. "What would you suggest?"  
  
"There is a nebula not too far from here. Inside there is a commerce planet that boasts a sizeable anti-PK navy. We could go there for our 'rendezvous.'"  
  
"All right," Dylan said as he signaled Rommie to begin scanning for warships. "Why don't you lead the way?"  
  
"Our pleasure," Crichton said and then cut the coms."  
  
"Tyr, keep an eye on that corvette. Rommie, I want you to launch some recon drones it a full sphere around our location and keep me updated. I'll be on the Obs Deck watching that ship." * * * * * *  
  
"Do you really think it's a good idea to go aboard that ship?" Aeryn asked John as they walked down Moya's corridors toward the hanger.  
  
"It'll be fine. We'll go over armed and tell them that we insist on having our weapons with us for our own safety. And besides, that's our meeting point with Dargo. If he gets back early or has sent us a message it would be a good idea to be there now rather than later," John said as he began his post-flight work on his prowler. "And besides, if Fleet Admiral Leshier decides to try and track us down, Alleghany would be the best place to be when she finds us."  
  
"Agreed," Aeryn said as she began work on her own prowler. "But if this thing backfires it'll be your head I'm after." 


	2. First Contact

Commonscape By: Griffin Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me.  
  
Note: Most of the Andromeda crew are current as far as about 2 weeks ago. Farscape crew is a bit older.  
  
Summary: The crews of Moya and the Andromeda have their first face-to-face meeting, and neither group will be the same after it.  
  
First Contact  
  
Moya and Talyn lead the way through the mine-laden nebula to the small star system of Z-21302 and the wealthy commerce planet of Alleghany.  
  
The Andromeda followed close behind, her sensors and drones blinded by the clouds of star gas. The crew of the much larger starship had spent most of the eight hour journey analyzing the weapons of their earlier enemy and some of the technical specs they had been able to gather along the way.  
  
After almost an hour of travel, the nebular clouds began to thin and soon the three ships were inside a clearing. The lone M-class red star sat at the center of the clearing, its radiation the only thing keeping the gases from closing in.  
  
Dylan remotely wondered if this had once been a much larger and more populated system when the star was brighter and wondered if the planets that must have orbited this star were still part of the nebula.  
  
At the very edge of what would be the system's gravity well a rather good- sized fleet was anchored.  
  
Thirteen capitol ships, twenty-two cruisers, twenty-six destroyers and a flotilla of various corvettes and frigates sat at anchor or at various points around the star.  
  
A flurry of merchant traffic moved from the planet to several orbitals and to the edge of the system where they disappeared into the clouds.  
  
As soon as they entered the system, the three ships were hailed by the system defenders and a pair of destroyers and five corvettes moved closer to escort them into the system.  
  
The transport, which had been name 'Moya', transmitted some sort of password to the defenders and the destroyers slowed, leaving the corvettes to escort.  
  
"Dylan, the transport has informed us that we are to approach the third orbital and dock. They say that it is the largest of the orbitals and will probably be the only one that can accommodate our size."  
  
"Acknowledged, follow their instructions. Tyr, deploy a sensor net around us, I don't want anyone sneaking up on us," Dylan ordered as the ships sliced in-system. * * * * * *  
  
John, Aeryn and Rygel went aboard Orbital Kenos and waited in the commons while Crais disembarked from Talyn. When the five were ready they approached the docking hatch for the Andromeda Ascendant.  
  
As they approached they noted the party sent to greet them. A female sebatian, dressed in a rather tight fighting uniform with only a small sidearm. A male sebatian stood behind her wearing a long, sleeveless leather coat and carrying a rather large pulse rifle. And a golden skinned girl that looked only slightly sebatian who wore a very tight fitting cat suit who seemed unarmed.  
  
"I'm John Crichton," John said as he approached the trio. "This is Officer Aeryn Sun, Dominar Rygel and Captain Bialar Crais."  
  
"I am Rommie, the ship's avatar. This is Tyr Anasazi and Trance Gemini," the woman announced. "My captain has asked that you announce all armaments before you enter our ship. He understands that you may wish to retain your weapons but you must announce them for the sake of our automated defense systems."  
  
"All we have is what you see. One pulse pistol for me, a pulse rifle for her, nothing for Sparky and a pulse pistol for old boy Crais here," John announced as he moved his coat aside to reveal 'Winona.'  
  
"Very well," Rommie said as she nodded slightly. "Shall we proceed?"  
  
"Sounds good," John said as he moved toward the hatch. * * * * * *  
  
Dylan was waiting on the Obs Deck when the four guests were brought aboard. Harper had been ordered to remain out of sight as soon as Dylan had seen that there was a woman with the group.  
  
He found the guests quite interesting with their almost uniform leather clothing. Except for the small one in the floating chair, they all seemed to be human at first glance. But when Andromeda's sensors had gotten a good scan of them Dylan had been informed that only 'Crichton' was in fact human and that the other two were merely 'close' to human, which was indeed curious.  
  
"Commander Crichton," Dylan said as he extended his hand. "Welcome aboard the Andromeda Ascendant. I am Captain Dylan Hunt, Commonwealth High Guard."  
  
"Hi," John said as he shook Dylan's hand. "This is Officer Aeryn Sun, formerly of the Peacekeepers; Dominar Rygel, currently in exile; and Captain Bialar Crais, also formerly of the Peacekeepers. Welcome to our neck of the woods."  
  
"And an interesting place it is indeed. We don't have files on any of the ships in this system nor do we recognize any other the propulsion methods or scanner systems."  
  
"Just as we don't recognize your ship, your weapons or your technology," Crais said with a hint of skepticism.  
  
"I assumed not," Dylan said with a friendly smile. "When you told us that you had no knowledge of slip-drives we immediately thought you to be rather primitive. It seems we were incorrect. The ships in this system would rival any High Guard fleet, which is quite something to say."  
  
"This 'High Guard' you speak of, is it powerful?" Rygel asked in his typical, self-serving fashion.  
  
"It once was, until nearly three-hundred years ago it was betrayed by one of our allies. I was caught in a black hole's gravitational field for that time and was only recently pulled from it. But I have begun the rebuilding of both the Systems Commonwealth and the High Guard that will defend it. I have secured alliances with several Nietzschean prides and several stars that will be of great assistance once we begin our building projects."  
  
"What exactly is a Nietzschean?" Aeryn asked with curiosity.  
  
"A genetically engineered offshoot of the Human race, one that strives to better ourselves and our people while protecting our Prides and straining out the weak genes," the dark-skinned man said.  
  
"Enough about militaries and races," Trance said with a perky smile. "Dinner is ready in the Main Banquet Hall." * * * * * *  
  
The two groups were served by the Andromeda's crew, only recently acquired from the various member worlds and trained at Mobius.  
  
They talked about the various political situations in the Uncharted Territories and how the Peacekeepers and Scarrens were likely to be at war soon.  
  
The dinner went well and as they concluded Dylan offered an invitation to John and Crais to talk with himself and Tyr about the possibilities of alliances in this sector.  
  
Dylan also invited Harper to join them on the Obs Deck. * * * * * *  
  
"John, this is my resident technological genius and the ship's chief engineer, Seamus Harper," Dylan said as Harper entered.  
  
"Hey nice to meet ya!" Harper said as he basically bounced onto the Obs Deck. "What I wouldn't give to have a look at some of the tech around here. Rommie's sensors have been picking up all sorts of interesting stuff."  
  
"Really?" Dylan asked curiously. "Such as?"  
  
"Such as," Harper said with a grin. "Four very primitive slip-drives are in this system. All of them are onboard what these guys call 'Leviathans.' If I could get onboard one of them and take a look inside, maybe get uplinked to one of them I'd been able to verify that."  
  
"I'm not sure our pilot would want you coming aboard and taking a look around, at least not yet," John said with a shrug. "Though I'm sure we could arrange some sort of trades, there are a couple of things here that I wouldn't mind taking a look at myself."  
  
"Indeed," Crais said gruffly. "But I would much rather prefer to get any sort of military arrangement settled first. We've already seen what each other's ships can do. Perhaps we should arrange some sort of mutual defense treaty."  
  
"Hey, hey, hey, that's an idea. But I think that we should wait until D'Argo gets back and see if he was able to secure that Luxon battlegroup. If he did I'm sure Captain Hunt here would be more than willing to take us on as one of his allies," John said with a grin.  
  
"Perhaps," Dylan said with a smile. "But if what Harper says is true about slip-drives, I would like to confirm it."  
  
"Very well, your engineer and a team of three techs can come aboard my leviathan as long as they are accompanied by at least one of our people."  
  
"Very well," Dylan said as he extended his hand. "Deal." 


	3. Alliances

Commonscape By: Griffin Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me.  
  
Note: Most of the Andromeda crew is current as far as about 2 weeks ago. Farscape crew is a bit older.  
  
Summary: D'Argo arrives with a Luxon battle group just in time to fend off a massive Peacekeeper attack.  
  
Alliance Forged In Blood  
  
Ka D'argo sat in the pilot's chair of his Luxon fighter and smiled slightly to himself as his ship emerged from the nebula surrounding Z-21302.  
  
He made a direct line for the appointed meeting place: Orbital Three.  
  
As he approached, he spotted Moya and Talyn sitting in two of the docking slips with scorch marks as if they had been attacked. As he got closer, he spotted another ship. The vessel was of an unfamiliar design and about the size of a Peacekeeper cruiser.  
  
As he neared the orbital, he contacted the command center and received authorization to dock.  
  
As he disembarked from Lola, D'Argo was met by Chiana, the gray Nebari giving the Luxon a hug as he stepped from the docking tube.  
  
"Hey there big guy," she said as she released him from her grasp. "How was the trip?"  
  
"It was good to see my home world again," D'Argo admitted. "I was able to contact many of my family and tell them how I was doing."  
  
"That's great!" Chiana said with a grin.  
  
"Where are John and Aeryn?" D'Argo asked as he looked around.  
  
"Well, that's a long story, I'll tell you on the way."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
D'Argo stepped aboard the Andromeda Ascendant with a weary expression. The ship's interior was immaculate, much like the interior of a Peacekeeper vessel, even if the design style was a bit different.  
  
The crew of the ship was varied, though a vast majority of them looked distinctly Sebatian. He had been greeted by an attractive darker female and a pair of soldiers that were currently escorting him to the conference room where John, Aeryn and the ship's captain were talking.  
  
As they arrived, the captain rose.  
  
"Welcome, I'm Captain Dylan Hunt, Commanding Officer of the Andromeda Ascendant and officer of the Restored Commonwealth," the man said as he took D'Argo's hand in a firm handshake.  
  
"You have quite the handshake for a Sebatian," D'Argo said as he looked around the room.  
  
"I'm not a Sebatian," Hunt announced. "As I've just finished telling John, I'm a human that is from a heavy-gravity home world."  
  
D'Argo looked over and realized that John looked shell-shocked.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"He's been in there for almost seven arns," Aeryn whispered to D'Argo as the pair sat outside the small room aboard the Andromeda. Inside John was reviewing what had happened to his world and his people.  
  
He had been rather unhappy about it and hadn't come out to eat or even speak to anyone else.  
  
"Can you blame him?" D'Argo asked. "Everything he knew is gone and there is no way for him to get it back."  
  
"I understand that, but this is irrational," Aeryn argued. "If he."  
  
Aeryn was cut short as the door slid open and John stepped through it, his face tight: a mask of his inner feelings. He had nothing now but those around him, and he was just going to have to live with that.  
  
"I see only one option," John said simply. "We embrace this Captain Hunt and his Commonwealth. This ship is more than sufficient to provide us with a home. And if this 'Commonwealth' is as extensive as these people boast, they could prove to be useful allies."  
  
"We would have to talk to Crais first," Aeryn announced, as if no one else knew.  
  
"Of course," John said as he started toward the docking hatch and Talyn. * * * * * *  
  
"There's no doubt, Boss," Seamus Harper said with a grin. "They are, while on a very primitive level and extremely unstable, slip-drives. And if what these people are telling me is correct, it would fit."  
  
"How is that?" Dylan asked the overzealous Harper.  
  
"Well, they tell me that only these 'Leviathan' transports have this 'Starburst' ability. The thing is, these ships are bio-mechanoid. They are living creatures. That go right with what we know about slip-technology and the inability of mechanoids to pilot through the 'stream. And from what I can gather they are usually only in this starburst for a matter of moments before they drop right back out, which means that they probably don't have the exotic matter lens capacity that we have to maintain our slipstream travel."  
  
Dylan nodded and looked over the flexi that Harper had been holding.  
  
"This is indeed interesting," he noted with a slight nod. * * * * * *  
  
"We know nothing of these people or of their intentions!" Crais argued on the bridge of Talyn. "For all we know, they are lying to you so they can collect the bounty on us with the Peacekeepers."  
  
"Crais, there is one thing that no one could just appear and know. There is no way that they could know all about Earth and its many odd historical facts unless they were from Earth at one point. So I think we should join this 'Dylan Hunt' and try to help him in this sector."  
  
"I agree. And if this Restored Commonwealth is anything as big as that man is saying then we could get the Luxon Empire and the Independent Planets on board and reach some sort of peace with the peacekeepers," D'Argo said in agreement with John.  
  
"Very well, but if this goes wrong then I will not be held responsible for it!" Crais said in surrender."  
  
"Fine then, let's get down to his ship and start negotiating."  
  
Alarms sounded suddenly and all eyes went to the front view screen as Talyn brought up the reason for the alert.  
  
At the very edge of the Gas Field a Peacekeeper Task Force had made penetration.  
  
As more and more ships passed into clear space the four realized they were in trouble.  
  
"Let's go!" John said as he, Aeryn and D'Argo ran to their ship. "Pilot, transmit all of the data you have on PK ships to the Andromeda Ascendant. They need to know everything about the capabilities of those ships that we do."  
  
"Sir, Crichton and his comrades are launching in their fighter craft and Talyn is separating from the drift," the sensor officer announced.  
  
"Sir, transmission from Moya has been received. The download includes files on the incoming vessels and their capabilities."  
  
"Good. Launch slip-fighter wings one through four and go to battle stations," Dylan ordered as he quickly read the different classes of ships that he would be fighting.  
  
"Sir, the system fleet is moving to merge and the commander has requested our assistance in this battle."  
  
"Tell them we're going to give them all the help we can," Dylan ordered.  
  
"Sir, I'm reading multiple separations. They're launching fighter craft!"  
  
"Tell the slip-fighters to stay in close until the real fight begins." * * * * * *  
  
"John, I'm going to try to sneak into the clouds and attack them from the rear," D'Argo said as he angled his ship toward the gas cloud.  
  
"Alright, go," John told him as he turned toward the incoming Prowlers. "Aeryn, you and I will form up with the lead wing of fighters from the Andromeda. Let's just hope they recognize us as their friends." * * * * * *  
  
"Admiral Vron, the system fleet has merged and is moving for a heavy engagement. The battle cruiser that just separated from the Orbital has launched four wings of unknown fighters and is moving into position for combat."  
  
"Good, more prey."  
  
"Sir, we're having a hard time getting a lock on that battle cruiser with our frag cannons. They seem to be jamming our sensors somehow."  
  
"Then get some marauders in there to tell us where that ship is at!" Admiral Tajal Vron yelled at his command deck.  
  
His command carrier was the flagship of Task Force Aurona, the Task Force assigned by High Command to take system Z-21302 for the Peacekeepers. He had under his command: three battle cruisers, six heavy cruisers, eleven light cruisers, twenty destroyers and all of the Prowlers and Marauders that went with them.  
  
It was a prestigious post and he grinned as he imagined the promotion that he would get for finally stamping out this pocket of resistance.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Ma'am, that battle cruiser that entered the system a little while ago is moving toward the PK fleet and has launched four fighter wings. What are your orders?"  
  
"Contact them and tell them that we are going to enter formation with them. I want our prowlers to keep flanking positions on their destroyers. Have the Marauders take out the peacekeeper prowlers." Admiral Silara Kien ordered.  
  
The system fleet had the peacekeepers outnumbered but only slightly. The battle cruiser calling herself the 'Andromeda Ascendant' that the fighters she had launched, would as some impressive firepower to the system picket.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Aeryn pulled her prowler back around onto the tail of the PK Marauder. She squeezed the trigger on her flight stick and a spray of pulse beams tore into the armored hide of the enemy ship.  
  
The Marauder tried to bank away from Aeryn, but Prowlers were more maneuverable and Aeryn released another spray of pulse fire.  
  
This time there was little armor to protect the Marauder and the fighter craft exploded brilliantly.  
  
Aeryn grinned as she turned toward another target, chasing down one of the lead PK Prowlers.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"The Shining Starburst just took a direct hit to her command deck. Her executive officer has taken command from the auxiliary command post," Lieutenant Grens reported from the communications section of the system picket's flagship the Illusion of Darkness.  
  
That was the fifth heavy cruiser to take heavy damage. Three had lost engine power, one had lost her power core and had to be abandoned and now this.  
  
Two of her heavy cruisers had been completely destroyed, as had five of her light cruisers and nine of her destroyers.  
  
But she was inflicting damage too. The PK command carrier had taken some heavy damage, one of the battle cruisers had been completely destroyed, and another had taken damage to her weapons deck. Two of the heavy cruisers had been destroyed as had three of the light cruisers and eight of the destroyers.  
  
But overall, even with the fire the Andromeda was adding, the damage to the picket was heavier than that dealt to the attackers.  
  
"Prepare the fleet to withdraw to the forts! We're taking too much damage!"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
It had been a little over an hour since the battle had been joined and the Andromeda was taking a beating.  
  
Over two dozen of the 'frag' shells had hit the hull and the repair bots were going to take forever to fix the damage.  
  
A quarter of the fighters had either been destroyed or damaged beyond fighting capability.  
  
And for all of that the missiles Andromeda was launching were finding fighters or Marauders as their primary target.  
  
Dylan swore as he noted the change in posture of the picket.  
  
"They're going to pull out," he growled and Tyr nodded.  
  
"Indeed. They agree that survival in this fight is impossible."  
  
"Rommie, I want those missiles targeted at the enemy capitol ships. It's time to end this."  
  
"Affirmative, targeting missiles at enemy capitol ships and commencing with full barrage." Rommie paused. "Dylan, I'm detecting a large task force emerging from the stellar cloud. They appear to be lead by the vessel that D'Argo was piloting."  
  
"Signal from incoming vessels," Tyr announced. "It's A Luxon battle group."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Admiral Tajal Vron looked at his sensors in disbelief. The Luxon battle group was almost right on top of him. There was no way that he was going to escape and it would be nearly impossible for him to defeat both the Luxons and the picket. Especially when the large battle cruiser had started targeting his capitol ships with those deadly projectiles.  
  
"Order all ships to scatter," Admiral Tajal Vron said as he panicked. He was dead and he knew it. "Helm, take us in to the heart of the picket. Engineering, prepare to overload the power core. We'll make them remember us."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"D'Argo, boy am I glad to see you," John said as D'Argo formed up with John and Aeryn.  
  
"John, that Command Carrier is turning toward the heart of the fleet and I am detecting an increase in their core power levels."  
  
"They're going to create a makeshift depth charge!" John yelled as he scrambled to activate his comms.  
  
"This is John Crichton. All ships target that Command Carrier. It is going to destroy the system fleet!" * * * * * *  
  
Dylan watched as the Command Carrier sliced through the frigates and destroyers of the system fleet toward its heart.  
  
The ship shuddered as missile after missile slammed into its armor and frag rounds exploded in proximity to its engines.  
  
But the command ship continued on its path and then, in the blink of an eye, the ship disappeared in a brilliant flash and was replaced by an expanding ball of plasma fury.  
  
Rommie's hologram flinched as ship after ship was swallowed by the plasma.  
  
The shockwave from the explosion rocked the Andromeda and then it was all over.  
  
The plasma dissipated and the survivors quickly began scanning the wreckage.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"We lost twelve ships and over twenty thousand crew members in that fight," the Acting Commander of the Z-21302 system fleet announced in a closed meeting with Dylan Hunt, John Crichton, D'Argo and the Luxon Battlegroup Command Li'Taran.  
  
"We also lost many of our warriors," General Li'Taran, added.  
  
"Then this alliance only makes more sense," Dylan said as he pressed a key.  
  
A holo-gram appeared above the table.  
  
"This is a depiction of where we are in relation to where I am from. It is in another galaxy altogether and even with the best of our pilots will take nearly three weeks to cross. If we were to form an alliance, we would be able to bring warships from the Commonwealth and establish a fleet base on this side. That would allow us to begin building warships that your fleets could use to strike at the Peacekeepers."  
  
"But what do you get out of the deal?" Admiral Grenat asked.  
  
"We get crews for our warships, bases to refuel and allies against our enemies should they try to attack us."  
  
"The Luxon Empire sent me here to secure alliances," Li'Taran said simply. "I will send a courier ship to my homeworld to confirm this, but the High Council will not question my choice. Captain Hunt, you have yourself an ally."  
  
"Good," Dylan said as he shook the Luxon's hand. "And the Alleghany?"  
  
"I will take it before our Council," the admiral said simply as he shook his head and left. 


	4. Portal

Commonscape By: Griffin Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me.  
  
Note: Most of the Andromeda crew is current as far as about a month ago. Farscape crew is a bit older.  
  
Summary: While the High Council of the Alleghany deliberate over an Alliance with the Restored Commonwealth, Harper and his technicians help Moya and Talyn enhance their starburst to true Slipstream quality.  
  
Portal to a New World  
  
Chancellor Ariana Lordis sat before the High Council of the Alleghany and shook her head as two of her Council Member argued over the concept of an alliance with these newcomers.  
  
"They saved our system from being overrun by the Peacekeepers," Council Member Tala Siran argued from her position to the left of the dais.  
  
"No! The Luxons saved us from the Peacekeepers. It is they that we must ally ourselves with!" Council Member Dimas Kalsi retorted from the right.  
  
"The Luxons have already signed a pact with this 'Commonwealth.' If we were to sign a pact with the Luxons we would be drawn into the conflict anyways," Tala returned.  
  
"ENOUGH!" Ariana shouted and the small chamber fell silent. "I did not want to have to do this. But if you cannot at least come to a vote in a civil manner, then I will be forced to invoke my powers as the Chancellor of this Government. I will retire from this meeting now, but I will expect a decision within three solar days!"  
  
With that Ariana stormed out of the Chamber and the arguing returned.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Harper watched the technician as he worked at retrofitting the Commonwealth exotic matter lens into the extremely primitive counterpart within the bowels of the Leviathan known as Talyn.  
  
He shook his head slightly as the tech finally made the appropriate connections and the lens began pulsing with energy.  
  
"This is Harper, your resident genius and engineer extraordinaire reporting success in the installation on one Advance Exotic Matter Lens. We still need to run our power checks and control run analysis, but I think this half of the work is done. Now all we'll need to do is install a control station."  
  
"Good job, Harper," Dylan said over the com. "Keep up the good work."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Once Harper finishes installing the exotic matter lenses and the control stations, we'll begin training you on how to pilot through the slipstream. I'm sure it will be strange for your ships not to be controlling the path of the ship but we don't think that they would be quite ready for a full- fledged slip-jump without first observing how to do it."  
  
Dylan poured drinks for the seven other people seated at the table a drink.  
  
Tyr Anasazi, Beka Valentine, John Crichton, Aeryn Sun, Bilar Crais, D'Argo and General Li'Taran were all seated.  
  
"And what of my fleet? When will you be able to employ this technology in a Luxon battle group?" Li'Taran asked.  
  
"I have my AI reviewing your schematics and the possibility of slipstream conversion. It has always been difficult to incorporate slipstream technology where none existed previously but it has been done. And we can also begin drafting new ship designs that will have slipstream technology from the start," Dylan noted as he set the drinks down.  
  
"For example," the holo-graphic image of the ship's AI interjected. "The data General Li'Taran has provided regarding the Luxon shipyards has allowed me to draw up plans for a quick set up for slip-drive construction and installation. And when you combine the vast Luxon shipyards with the growing Restored Commonwealth's current yards, you have quite a shipbuilding capacity. And with the advances in pulse weaponry and solid fragmentation that the Luxon data files have provided everyone will benefit from each other technological improvements."  
  
"Good. Good," the General said as he took a drink from the glass set before him. "Another question raised by my technicians is in regard to your computer technology. Will be allowed to have samples or training in your AI technology and computer design?"  
  
"I have consulted my files and have determined that I have enough information in my matrix to begin construction of a rudimentary AI core that could be used as a base for multiple copies. These copies could be installed in a ship's computer core. They would be limited in function at first, but as Harper and the scientist throughout the Restored Commonwealth rebuild AI technology, we could update your AI cores," Rommie said matter- of-factly.  
  
"Exactly how limited are we talking?" John asked.  
  
"Well, the first copies would have to be acclimated to your systems so they would be nothing more than advanced data-processors and automated system administrators. They would be able to control point-defense systems, doors, climate and other mundane functions. Once we map out your computer systems, however, we would be able to adapt your AI cores to a point where they would be able to pilot the ship by themselves outside of slipstream, do tasks usually assigned to a human like enhancing sensor data and the like. It would still be wise to keep your ships well staffed but it would greatly reduce your work load."  
  
"That would be good," Li'Taran noted. "Our people are well trained in our technology but it is limited compared to others."  
  
"One thing that we wish to learn about," Tyr said as he stepped away from the wall he seemed intent on holding up, "was this defense screen technology that we have seen exhibited on the Peacekeeper vessels. It would be a great help to our fleet if we were able to employ this technology on our vessels."  
  
"The defense screen technology is extremely complex. Moya has a somewhat functional model that we wouldn't mind turning over to you for review. Perhaps with the help of some of the techs from the Alleghany, you would be able to build more compact models."  
  
"Indeed," Tyr said as he took a shot of the glass that sat in front of his seat." * * * * * *  
  
Council Member Tala Siran walked down the dimly lit street in Alleghany's capitol city toward her home on the east side.  
  
She walked alone, as was her custom, through the town. She wore street clothes, unlike Council members from wealthier districts.  
  
She didn't have her own security team nor did she have her own air-pod that would take her back to her residence.  
  
She had walked these streets for many cycles before this, she had nothing to fear.  
  
Or at least, she didn't think that she did.  
  
As she passed a darkened alley, Tala suddenly found herself not so alone on the street. If it had been earlier in the day she wouldn't have been so worried. But for someone to be out this late, and to suddenly appear from a darkened passage, was not normal.  
  
She increased her pace ever so slightly, not wanting to alert the person behind her that she had discovered that she was being followed.  
  
And even as she increased her pace she rested her hand in her pocket and grasped the handle of the small pulse pistol she kept for things like this.  
  
As she passed one of the few and far between street lights she turned and raised the gun.  
  
When she looked at her follower she was, at first, confused.  
  
Before her stood one of the various 'women of the night' showing her body for what it was.  
  
But that wasn't what confused Tala.  
  
What had caused the confusion was what the woman was carrying. Two cleanly severed heads, eyes and mouths hanging wide open.  
  
"You were going to be ambushed," the woman said simply. "And my boss wouldn't like that."  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"I'm no one special. But what you are trying to do will help this planet and our people. And the person that I work for wants that very much." The woman threw Tala a data-chip. "This holds the information that they were carrying and the conversation they carried on before I found them. You'll know what to do with it."  
  
Tala studied the chip for a moment and when she looked up to thank the woman, all that was left were the two heads. * * * * * *  
  
Chief Security Officer Dimal Lasas reviewed the data that Council Member Tala Siran had brought to him on a data-chip. With the information he found, he had more than enough to have a team of agents sent to Council Member Dimas Kalsi's residence on the north border of town for an arrest.  
  
"Where did you get this information?" Dimal asked the Council Woman.  
  
"That's not important," she replied quickly. "What's important is that Kalsi was going to have me kidnapped and blame it on the Restored Commonwealth and the Luxons.  
  
"I'm going to the Chancellor with this first thing in the morning." * * * * * *  
  
Dylan Hunt, Captain of Andromeda Ascendant, was awakened by the chime of an incoming communication from the bridge.  
  
"Hunt," he said wearily into the voice-only transmission.  
  
"Dylan, there is quite a stir down on the planet. It seems one of the anti- alliance Council Members tried to have the leading pro-alliance Council Woman kidnapped in order to blame it on us. The entire anti-alliance movement has collapsed and Chancellor Lordis is requesting permission to send up a diplomatic envoy for the purpose of negotiating an Alliance between the Restored Commonwealth, the Luxon Empire and the Alleghany Republic," Andromeda announced.  
  
"Send confirmation immediately and set up a conference for thirteen hundred. Notify General Li'Taran and Crichton. I'm sure he'll want to be in on the negotiations."  
  
"It's as good as done."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"So you see Captain Hunt, General Li'Taran, an alliance with the Alleghany Republic will not only afford you a safe haven and a sizeable fleet base, but connections with every other independent star and star group this side of the Peacekeeper home world," the leading diplomat for the Alleghany announced.  
  
"But what of the possible weakness that an alliance stretched so thin would create?" Tyr, the only uninvited, and yet unchallenged, guest asked. "Our fleet is still in a state of growth and an alliance with the various independent worlds would create obligations that we would be hard pressed to fulfill right now, especially since the Drago-Katsov empire has been making moves against our allies in our region of space."  
  
"I think that the construction rate of our shipyards would surprise you. With the people to man our ships and the heavy gunnery support even one of your cruisers would provide most of the independent worlds would be able to hold off anything but a full invasion fleet."  
  
"I think that the addition of more stars to our list of allies and the increased diversity in crew and experience would more than offset our possible vulnerabilities. Especially after we are able to get a courier back to the Commonwealth to summon some of our allies"  
  
"Then we are in agreement?" The diplomat asked hopefully.  
  
"I'll have my AI write up a document of alliance immediately," Dylan said as he extended his hand, the diplomat shaking it vigorously. * * * * * *  
  
"This is Eureka Maru to Talyn. Prepare to begin slipstream run Alpha," Captain Beka Valentine announced over the com-line.  
  
"This is Talyn," Bilar Crais replied. "We are ready, Maru."  
  
"This is Moya," Aeryn chimed in. "We're ready."  
  
Aeryn, Crais, John and D'Argo had all spent the last two weeks in heavy immersion slip-stream pilot training, and all had passed with flying colors.  
  
Pilot had also been given the training, as he had insisted on having a slip- stream control station added to his console. It was unlikely that he would use it but it would help in case of an emergency.  
  
The Eureka Maru edged toward the edge of the slip-stream portal and as the strands of the stream grabbed her, Talyn and Moya quickly followed.  
  
The three ships were running their first life flights with the new slipstream technology and were only jumping one system.  
  
"All indicators are green," the technician aboard Talyn announced as the slipstream drive went to full power.  
  
"We're reading green here also," the tech on Moya chimed in.  
  
"This is the Maru, prepare for translation out of slipstream," Beka announced and the three ships made a smooth translation back to normal space.  
  
"What a rush," John said from his place at the command console on Moya.  
  
"Indeed," Aeryn said with a nod. "I think I'm going to like this..." * * * * * *  
  
Near the edge of the system, unnoticed by anyone, a lonely Peacekeeper frigate slipped away toward the nearest outpost.  
  
This alliance between the Luxons, the Independents and these newcomers was going to have a dangerous effect on the balance of power in this region of space and the sooner High Command knew about it, the sooner it could be crushed. 


	5. Confrontation

Commonscape By: Griffin Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me.  
  
Note: Most of the Andromeda crew is current as far as about a month ago. Farscape crew is a bit older.  
  
Summary: The Peacekeepers learn about the newly formed Alliance and begin making moves to counter its growing influence, without openly attacking the unknown enemy.  
  
Confrontation  
  
The tiny frigate finally reached its base, just inside Peacekeeper space.  
  
It had taken almost sixteen solar days to arrive, which meant that the sooner they got the information held in their databanks to Command, the sooner High Command could react to this possible new threat.  
  
"This is Fredis Flight Control to incoming Frigate, please transmit identification codes and authorization passwords."  
  
"Transmitting now," the captain said as he signaled his communication officer to begin the transmission.  
  
Several minutes passed before the screen lit again.  
  
"Welcome back, Liander. Begin docking maneuvers at port seven-one."  
  
"Take us in," the captain said as the ship approached the sprawling space port.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Captain Ilanis Taraset reviewed the data once more before turning off the viewer.  
  
The information the frigate had returned from the assault on the Alleghany Republic was devastating. Not only had the operation failed in the complete destruction of the task force, it had caused the formation of alliance.  
  
The Luxon Empire, the Independent Planets of the Periphery and this 'Restored Systems Commonwealth' had formed an alliance. The Luxons and Independents both brought sizeable fleets to the deal, and from the battle reports the Frigate had transmitted, the Restored Commonwealth brought heavy firepower.  
  
"We need to get this to High Command as soon as possible," Ilanis said simply.  
  
"Indeed. They will need to formulate plans against this possible threat to our power," Lieutenant Geran Riol agreed. "Shall I have a courier prepped for launch?"  
  
"Yes. It will take them only four solar days to reach the High Command if they leave immediately. It will likely be two solar weeks before we see any results from their decisions. But it's not our job to wait on them. Prep the courier."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Admiral Liro Rashi strolled along the command deck of her flagship: the Peacekeeper Command Carrier the Ristan, reading her new orders.  
  
High Command had decided that her task group would be sent to reinforce the frontier against this new threat, and send feelers in to test the extent of their forces.  
  
A similar task group had been deployed to the Luxon Empire, reinforcing the tenuous border with the war hungry Luxons. High Command was also trying to get a large enough task force together to probe into this new Alliance to see what their response would be.  
  
"Well," she said finally as she turned to her bridge crew. "Send the order out to the rest of the Task Group. We will depart in one solar day for the Fredis Outpost."  
  
The command carrier, ten battle cruisers, nineteen heavy cruisers, twenty- seven light cruisers, forty one destroyers and various support vessels of Liro's Task Group began forming up for the six day journey to Fredis. She decided to deploy half of her marauders as cover in case they came under attack and leave her prowlers in their bays unless absolutely needed.  
  
The information provided by High Command indicated that the enemy they were facing had very powerful fighter craft and that it would be unwise to try and attack them unless overwhelming numbers could be achieved...  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ambassador Kiran Drassi approached the conference room where he would be meeting with the representatives of the Hynerian, Nebari and Scorvian governments.  
  
It had been quite a challenge bringing the three representatives within a solar day of each other, but High Command had done it.  
  
It had been relatively easy when one considered it.  
  
They had told the Hynerians that their dethroned ruler was preparing to overthrow their government, the Nebari that one of the leaders of the Nebari resistance was gathering forces for an attack and that the Luxons, and by natural extension the Ilanics, had formed a new, powerful alliance.  
  
Those were things the respective governments could not over look. And so they had sent their representatives.  
  
"I have brought you here together for a common purpose," Ambassador Drassi began as all of the representatives were seated. "Our reason for coming here may be different from the person sitting beside us, but the goal is the same."  
  
He brought up a holo-vid of the battle for the Alleghany Republic and the three ambassadors watched the complete annihilation of a medium strength Peacekeeper Task Force by a combined fleet.  
  
"What you just witnessed," he continued as the holo disappeared, "was the complete destruction of a task force we sent to an independent system to secure the territory for the Peacekeeper High Command. The combined forces of the Luxon battle group, the system defense fleet and this unknown battle cruiser were able to overwhelm a command carrier, three battle cruisers, seventeen cruisers and twenty destroyers and all of the fighter cover that would be provided in such a force."  
  
"What is your point?" The Nebari asked impatiently.  
  
"The Peacekeeper High Command would like to extend an offer of mutual defense and non-aggression to each of your governments. In the event that one member of the pact is attacked, the others will come to their aid."  
  
"Why would we want to make a deal with the peacekeepers? They have never come to us before with such an offer." The Scorvian ambassador remarked sarcastically.  
  
"That is because we did not face such a threat as we do now," Kiran said simply. "The threat that the Peacekeepers face now is a strengthened rebel presence in the form of the Independent worlds. A presence that has sworn to overthrow our government and plunge our territories into chaos and anarchy," he said as he too sat.  
  
"What the Hynerians face is an assault on their throne by a dethroned and bitter leader, the Nebari face outside support for their growing rebel concerns and the Scorvians face the threat of having the Luxons and Ilanics bolstered in their fight against you. Because, as anyone could imagine, it will only be a matter of time before the Ilanics join in this Alliance and bring the entire weight of the Luxon Empire, the Independent worlds and whatever strength this 'Restored Systems Commonwealth' can muster. Does the Scorvian Empire really want to face that possibility without the support of the Peacekeeper High Command?"  
  
"Perhaps they have no such plans," the Scorvian ambassador countered.  
  
"We already have proof that the Luxons have signed an Alliance with the Restored Commonwealth and have arranged for technology transfers."  
  
The Scorvian grumbled and shook his head.  
  
Kiran wasn't getting the responses that he was looking for in this meeting. So he decided to draw his trump card.  
  
"Very well then, I am forced to show you something that I had wished could wait until we had secured this deal." He pressed a stud on the arm of his chair and the replay of the three ships 'starbursting' was projected. And moments later the ships returned. "Two of those ships were Leviathans. The other was not. What is more, they were able to return to exactly the same place that they left. This, as anyone with any knowledge of Leviathan Starburst will tell you, is impossible to accomplish. This means that this 'Restored Commonwealth' has introduced a technology that will allow its ships to travel long distances to precise coordinates. Do you really want an entire Luxon and Ilanic Battle group invading the Scorvian home system? Or the Nebari or Hynerian home systems?"  
  
The three ambassadors looked at each other wearily as the possibilities flew through their heads.  
  
The Scorvian shook his head and stood.  
  
"I never thought that I would ever agree to such a pact with the Peacekeepers, but this information means that this Alliance is far too dangerous to leave unchecked, or to face alone."  
  
The Hynerian and Nebari nodded and Kiran steepled his fingers in success.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Spies, both in merchant traffic and under the direct pay of the Independent governments, observed the meeting between the Peacekeeper ambassador and the representatives from three of the larger powers in this region of space and the traffic that began to move as Scorvian, Hynerian and Nebari ships began gathering in the Peacekeeper's forward system of Fredis.  
  
The new Coalition began deploying these foreign units to shore up the strength of their front-lines and began bringing ships out on deep space patrol, back to base for reassignment.  
  
Through various methods the spies returned this data to their masters in the Alliance, where the data would be processed and plans laid to counter this new and dangerous threat. 


	6. Opposition's Enemy

Commonscape By: Griffin Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me.  
  
Note: Most of the Andromeda crew is current as far as about a month ago. Farscape crew is a bit older.  
  
Summary: The Scarren Empire learns of the Peacekeeper Coalition and looks to reinforce their own positions for a possible strike against the now divided Peacekeeper military.  
  
Opposition's Enemy  
  
In the depth of space, near the border of Scarren and Peacekeeper space, where military patrols were frequent and merchant traffic rare, a pair of courier ships met.  
  
One was crewed by Scarrens, their pilot nervous as they docked with the slighter smaller ship that had come from the other side.  
  
The other ship had a small crew of Sebatian ex-military from the Independent Planets.  
  
They had once been respected in their home systems, but money and promise of power had corrupted them and they were now in the pay of the Scarren Empire.  
  
The two captains nervously watched for any sign of Peacekeeper patrols that might attack. They were dangerously close to the Peacekeeper base at Sacrasi and marauders were not rare.  
  
If one of the peacekeepers were to discover them, the whole Independent get one of the Scarren outposts near the border, they would overrun the ships stationed there.  
  
"We must make some answer to this," Admiral Taril of the Home Fleet said angrily.  
  
"Indeed," High Admiral Salin said with a nod.  
  
"We shall assemble a probe to determine whether or not this 'Alliance' is a myth. We shall also assemble a force that will strike at the Peacekeeper base of Fredis, where their Coalition gathers as we speak. We shall strike with overwhelming force and bring the Peacekeepers to their knees."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
One Scarren cruiser and a squadron of Strikers passed along the outer edge of the Peacekeeper territory toward the Independent Planets. They would seek to find out what this new Alliance was going to do and whether they would be a threat to the Scarren Empire.  
  
The leader of the force, Captain Likas, frowned as his ships sliced through the silence of space. He had not envisioned himself as the leader of a force to scout out a potential new force in this part of the galaxy. He had wanted to lead the forces of the attack that would bring the Peacekeepers down.  
  
He shook his head as he checked a report from his Charrid commander, informing him that the attack forces would be available if they were to dock with another ship.  
  
The Charrids were always trying to find some way to get into better favor with their Scarren commanders. Sometimes they were useful. Sometimes they were just annoyances sent to make sure the Scarrens had some expendable bodies.  
  
Likas just hoped that he could find this Alliance, determine their intentions and return in time to rejoin the strike force against the Peacekeepers. That was incredibly unlikely but it was something the Scarren could hope for. * * * * * * Admiral Elir of the 2nd Fleet Command laughed slightly as he stood on the command deck of his dreadnaught as it was in orbit of the Scarren outpost planet of Kilan Jornas, while 2nd fleet prepared to launch its attack on Fredis.  
  
He had under his command more than half again the strength of a normal task group and twice the normal compliment of Strikers. He strolled down the command deck, the warriors at their stations observing the sensory data coming in from different parts of the ship.  
  
He had six solar days before all of his ships had gathered and the supply train was formed in preparation for the strike.  
  
The strike group was slated to strike one of the minor outposts near Fredis where they would establish a temporary outpost. From there they would strike the Peacekeeper base and hold it long enough to strike the other minor outposts around its periphery.  
  
Once that was completed the strike group would gather at Fredis and make their way straight through peacekeeper territory back to the Scarren Empire. 


	7. Brewing Storm

Commonscape By: Griffin Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me.  
  
Note: Most of the Andromeda crew is current as far as about a month ago. Farscape crew is a bit older.  
  
Summary: Reinforcements are summoned and a daring raid is carried out on a Peacekeeper outpost to retrieve star charts vital to Alliance plans.  
  
A Brewing Storm.  
  
Dylan Hunt, Captain of the Andromeda Ascendant, watched the view screen as another Luxon scout group departed the Alleghany system to probe the Peacekeepers.  
  
The spy reports indicated that the Peacekeepers were afraid of the Restored Commonwealth and its Alliance. Afraid enough to make alliances with three empires they usually wouldn't.  
  
And those new allies had some reason to join with the Peacekeepers instead of waiting for emissaries from the Alliance to meet with them.  
  
Now the Alliance Commanders, basically the Luxon High Command and the Independent Planet Unified Command, were sending out feeler forces to determine what the intentions of this coalition would be.  
  
"Sir, General Li'Taran is here to meet with you," a yeoman announced from one of the communication stations.  
  
"Have him meet me on the Obs deck," Dylan said as he headed out of Command.  
  
When he arrived at the Obs deck, Li'Taran, D'Argo, Crichton and Crais were all waiting.  
  
"Captain," the General said with a slight bow. "We have reports coming in from our forces that the Peacekeeper Coalition has started gathering forces at their outpost hub of Fredis. At least four full task groups, in addition to support forces and system defense ships."  
  
"What do you suggest?" Dylan asked with a slight frown.  
  
"We strike them before they strike us," D'Argo said with a growl.  
  
"Indeed," Crais said with a nod. "But the Luxons cannot afford to divert that kind of firepower yet. Neither can the Ilanics."  
  
"Which leaves your Restored Commonwealth," John said as he looked out to at the space station outside.  
  
"I was wondering how long it would be before we would need to summon my allies," Dylan said with a nod. "And I already sent Captain Valentine in the Maru to summon assistance. But once they get here, they will be trapped until we have some sort of star chart to navigate by."  
  
"We don't have any charts reaching beyond the borders of our territory and the Territory of the Ilanics. The Peacekeepers are rather strict in the allowance of star charts of their territory," General Li'Taran said with a frown.  
  
"And the Independents won't have much either. They have pretty much focused on internal growth and defense," Crais said with a frown.  
  
"Then we must strike at them and retrieve data from their own charts," D'Argo said aggressively. "We must hit one of their outposts near here and take the charts from their data banks."  
  
"That would be an act of war," Dylan argued immediately. "We don't know what their plans are. We have had no communication with them, but we have also not had any of their ships attack ours."  
  
"That's because they are smart," Crais said with a frown. "I was one of them. I know. They will wait until they know they can hit us and then they will strike with overwhelming force. They will bring everything they have to bear at one time."  
  
"We need to take the fight to them first. We need to disperse their forces before we strike," Li'Taran added. "We need to make them reinforce their outposts and draw strength away from their central position. The less ships they have in one place the less dangerous they are."  
  
"What do you suggest?" Dylan asked, a slight edge in his voice.  
  
"I suggest that we take a small strike group, hit them and take the star charts and get back here. When your allies arrive, we will attack them along their edges and force them to spread their ships along the frontier. When they have done that, we will strike Fredis and remove the majority of their forces," D'Argo announced proudly.  
  
"How big a force are you suggesting?" Dylan asked and D'Argo shrugged.  
  
"We would use Talyn and a small contingent of Luxon fighters to reach the objective. John, I, Tyr, Aeryn, a small group of your lancers and a small group of Luxon warriors would be the strike team. We would bring a couple of techs with us to decipher their computers and extract the star charts."  
  
"How long do you think the operation would take?"  
  
"At least two solar days, if we do it right. At the most it would take four. We would need to go in and observe for a day. Watch their paths and determine where our best chance of slipping through would be. We would try to avoid detection until the last minute and then hit them hard," John said with a shrug.  
  
"All right," Dylan said reluctantly. "That should give my ships enough time to get here. If we time it correctly, we will be able to introduce the star charts into the computers and make a jump within the same day."  
  
"But we should wait until my forces have fully integrated the slip-drives into use."  
  
"Harper informs me that your ships should be fully functioning within three solar days. Once they have a few trial runs with the slip-drives we can strike at Fredis," Dylan said as he shook his head slightly. "And may God have mercy on us."  
  
* * * * * * Beka yawned as Trance piloted the Eureka Maru toward the docking bay of the Sabra-Jaguar drift that was the current home of the Pride's Third Fleet.  
  
She had a direct order from Dylan to call the entire fleet to action and provide them with slipstream 'directions' to their destination.  
  
They had already been to Mobius to call up the fleet there and to the Castilians to have that fleet moved.  
  
This was their last stop before returning to the Andromeda and finding out what they were going to do.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"This is madness," Fleet Marshall Leo Tiral, leader of Sabra-Jaguar Third Fleet, announced with a laugh. "We are to make a jump into uncharted space with the entirety of our fleet to help a new ally that we have yet to make contact with?"  
  
"Yes," Beka said with an arrogant smile. She hated Nietzscheans.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because," Beka began slowly, "the Commodore of the Restored Commonwealth has ordered you to. And under the terms of our alliance you are bound to bring all requested forces to bear at the requested location."  
  
Leo shook his head and read the flexi again.  
  
"Fine, we'll go," he said as he handed the flexi to his Navigation officer. "We'll be ready to depart within the hour."  
  
The comm-link was cut and Beka smiled.  
  
"That went better than I expected it to," she said and Trance laughed. * * * * * *  
  
Talyn and the eight Luxon fighters eased closer to the small planet that held the Peacekeeper outpost of Grenid Seven.  
  
It was not one of the most important outposts in the Peacekeeper territory, but it did watch the border with the Independent Planets and held the star charts for routes through the entire Peacekeeper territory.  
  
"Those are Hynerian battle cruisers," D'Argo said as he pointed to three large ships near the edge of the system. "They are powerful enough to take out a Peacekeeper frigate without suffering a scratch. The Hynerians may be weak, but their weapons are not."  
  
The ships edged further in-system on light power, trying to stay hidden.  
  
"Scorvian Stinger ships," the leader of the Luxon detachment said pointing to a squadron of fighters. "Almost as powerful as our fighters, and they hunt in packs to overpower our edge in power."  
  
The system had at least one ship from each of the Coalition members. Peacekeeper frigates and destroyers; Hynerian battle cruisers and fighters; Scorvian light cruisers and Stinger ships; and a Nebari heavy cruiser populated the system.  
  
"We'll reach their active sensor range in two arns. From there, Talyn will make a run toward the outpost while the fighters hit those Stinger ships and prowlers," D'Argo said with an absent minded look at the holo-grid.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Ma'am, unidentified ships detected to the port side," the tactical officer of a Peacekeeper frigate announced.  
  
"What? What are they?" The captain asked and the officer shrugged.  
  
"Not sure. They are running on low power. I can't really get a good read on them from this range. They could just be sensor ghosts but there are too many. I'm reading at least six signatures. Possibly as many as eight."  
  
"Bring us to yellow status. Have the crew go to general quarters and bring the frag cannons on-line," Captain Eliza Drimas ordered as she sat up in her command chair.  
  
"Aye, Ma'am. Going to yellow status, bringing weapons on-line now," the tactical officer replied. * * * * * *  
  
"That frigate to the starboard has us," the lead Luxon pilot announced. "Requesting permission to go weapons hot and hit them hard."  
  
"This is Crais, you have permission to go weapons hot and hit them hard. Neutralize that frigate and help clear us a path to the outpost," Crais ordered as he brought Talyn's offensive and defensive systems up to full power. * * * * * *  
  
The frigate never knew what hit them. One minute they were moving to investigate a possible sensor blip, the next they were swarmed by eight Luxon assault fighters.  
  
They never even got a chance to bring their weapons up to full power, or to get into their air-tight suits.  
  
But the destruction of the frigate tipped off the rest of the system picket and almost immediately every ship in the system started closing on the nine vessels.  
  
The Luxon fighters moved into a tight formation in from of Talyn as they moved toward the outpost. The first ships to dare attack the powerful assault ships were the ten Scorvian Stingers. It was the last mistake those pilots would ever make as a wave of energy tore their weaker ships apart before they even got a good look at their attackers.  
  
The Luxons split off into two groups to take care of the incoming Prowlers, leaving Talyn to deal with the pair of incoming Peacekeeper frigates.  
  
The two smaller ships might have been able to take Talyn out had they known to stay clear of his main cannon.  
  
A single shot from the hefty cannon tore each ship to pieces and Talyn flew right through the expanding debris clouds, closer to the goal. * * * * * *  
  
"Hanger Three has been breached!" Someone shouted in Grenid Seven's command center as the base shook. "We're getting troops there as soon as possible!"  
  
"Seal the area off. I want this command center locked down now!" The base commander shouted as he received reports from orbit.  
  
The eight Luxon fighters and unidentified destroyer were tearing apart anything small enough to have reached them and were avoiding the heavier firepower in the system.  
  
The shuttle pod that had bore the infantry had struck with impunity as the mother ship tore apart the defense turrets guarding the base's surface entrances.  
  
Now it was going to be a fight inside the base and Commander Felis Silar had a feeling these attackers had come prepared for what they were about to face. * * * * * *  
  
The Luxons lead the attack into the base, their pulse cannons tearing apart the automated defense systems with ease.  
  
There wasn't a body to be found for almost five minutes.  
  
And then the base's ground troops arrived and it became a shooting match.  
  
That was when the Lancer's had the advantage. Their smart rounds sought out the enemy and neutralized them or their weapons until there was no return fire.  
  
The group split up and Aeryn and Tyr lead the way toward the computer core, a small group of techs following close behind. John and D'Argo decided to cause some more trouble and strike at the power generators. They would plant explosives and detonate them once out of the base.  
  
Aeryn hefted her pulse cannon up as the group turned a corner and released a withering spray of pulse fire into a group of what seemed to be armed techs. The unarmored Sebatians fell without a fight and Tyr smiled.  
  
"Impressive weapon," he said as he took the lead. "Now my turn."  
  
The team reached what appeared to be the computer core and Tyr took the opportunity to show off his fire power. He switched his weapon to explosive rounds and stood back from the sealed door.  
  
He squeezed the trigger and grinned as the door exploded inward.  
  
"Impressive," Aeryn said with a smile as she moved inside to secure the core. "It's clear. Get those techs in here!"  
  
The team spread out around the door to protect the techs while they worked and as she watched the passageway for any sign of Peacekeepers she wondered how John and D'Argo were doing. * * * * * *  
  
John grinned as he slapped the explosive device on the main power generator for the entire outpost. When that device exploded it would wipe out the power to every system in on this rock.  
  
The rest of the team was busy setting up similar devices throughout the power room to make sure that there would be no secondary power running to anything. Especially to the defense and communication systems that could give them away.  
  
"This is Crichton, the power room is rigged. We are returning to the shuttle." John switched frequencies. "This is Strike Team Two to Mama Hen, get ready to pick up the chicks."  
  
"Strike Two this is Mama Hen. Message acknowledged, we're on our way." * * * * * *  
  
The shuttle pod lifted off from the outpost just in time to see one of the sections exploded magnificently, and to watch the defensive cannons shut down suddenly.  
  
They were only exposed for moments before Talyn swooped in and grabbed them. The ship had taken a hit from one of the Scorvian light cruisers but was still flyable.  
  
Two of the Luxon fighters had made the mistake of tangling with the same light cruiser, and although they had inflicted serious damage to the ship, they had been destroyed when they got too close to the ship's point defense grid.  
  
Another of the Luxons had somehow been dragged away from the support of his fellows and had been assaulted by an entire squadron of Prowlers but had taken eight of the nine before he fell in battle.  
  
So five lightly damaged Luxon fighters and Talyn pushed their way through Scorvian Stinger ships and Peacekeeper Prowlers and made a run for the edge of the system. They were faster than anything that could cause them any trouble and had the firepower to take out anything fast enough to keep up with them.  
  
All of which added up to absolutely no one following them out of the system and back to the Alleghany Republic and the waiting Alliance fleet. * * * * * * 


	8. Rolling Thunder

Commonscape By: Griffin Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me.  
  
Note: Most of the Andromeda crew is current as far as about a month ago. Farscape crew is a bit older.  
  
Summary: As the Alliance prepares to strike the Coalition, the Scarrens assemble to make their move on the Peacekeepers.  
  
Rolling Thunder.  
  
Admiral Lira Rashi slammed her fist into the table as she threw the data board across the room.  
  
"Frell them and their games," she shouted. "If they want to play those games, I will not oblige them. They are trying to spread our forces thin so they can strike us here. I will not allow it."  
  
"Then what are your plans?" Lira's Operations Officer asked.  
  
"I want couriers sent to all of the outlying systems. I want all ships, except for a small skeleton picket, brought here and formed up. We are going to strike them at their heart, and this time the Peacekeeper High Command will succeed!" * * * * * *  
  
Admiral Elir watched as his ships prepared to make their strike on the outpost system of Grenid.  
  
The system had a respectable picket and was the location of one of the forward outposts. The plan was to eliminate everything in the system and hope that the Peacekeepers blamed it on their new 'threat.'  
  
But even if they didn't, the fleet would was going to make an almost instant strike at the Fredis system to eliminate a majority of the Coalition fleet.  
  
"Sir, we are approaching the system's edge. Strikers are launching and our lighter elements are moving out to probe the enemy defenses," Elir's second reported.  
  
"Good. Inform me of their findings as soon as they are available."  
  
Elir stalked into his command briefing room to review his attack plan and smiled as the holo-graphic image of the system appeared before him.  
  
According to intelligence reports, there were a number of foreign vessels calling the Grenid system home for the time being. Nebari, Scorvian and Hynerian ships were supposedly supporting the Peacekeepers that were already positioned in the system.  
  
He had divided his force into two prongs. One would be focusing on the removal of the outpost while the other, heavier, group tore apart the picket that would be defending the system.  
  
He knew that his ships would be able to take care of anything the Peacekeepers cared to put in the Grenid system, all he was worried about was taking damage that would slow down his attack on Fredis.  
  
"Sir, first Striker ships are approaching the outer edges of the patrol zone. They are reporting minimal contact with enemy fighters."  
  
"What about the light probes?"  
  
"They are reporting similar results in their quadrants. It seems like the Peacekeepers evacuated this system. Numbers are still weak, but it looks like five frigates and two destroyers are all that are left," Elir's second reported.  
  
"And what of the outpost?"  
  
"No contact whatsoever."  
  
"All right," Elir said with a frown. "Destroy all enemy ships and establish a temporary space anchor while I converse with my division commanders."  
  
Elir paced in his briefing room as the holo-grid displayed the destruction of the surprisingly light defense forces. He closed his eyes for a moment and then stepped back out onto the command deck. * * * * * *  
  
Fleet Marshall Leo Tiral, of the Sabra-Jaguar Third Fleet; Admiral Rachel Vash, of the Castilian Sixth Task Group; Commodore Ethan York, of the Third Mobius Expeditionary Task Force; General Li'Taran, of the Luxon Fifth Luxon Battlegroup; General Ki'Tisan, of the Fourth Ilanic Expeditionary Force and Admiral Si Kinas, of the Independent Planet Unified Command were all present as Dylan, Crais and John briefed them on the operational plan before the group.  
  
The plan had been worked out by the leading planners from each of the groups and was being brought before the fleet commanders more as an overview of a decided action than as a vote on possible moves.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Restored Commonwealth Navy and her Allies," Dylan began nodding to each of the members. "The leading planners in our Joint Command Center here in the Alleghany system were asked by me and Captain Crais to write up an attack plan on the local Peacekeeper command center, Fredis. After three days of work they have assembled an operational plan for a joint assault on the base."  
  
The holo-grid popped to life over the table and each person lifted their flexi to read the overview.  
  
"The first part of the operation will be lead by the forces from Mobius. Because they are fewest in number, they have drawn scout duty. Their ships are more than well suited for this type of operation. They will scout out the system as the larger force advances, watching for any traps or tricks the Peacekeepers might have up their sleeves." Dylan pressed a key and the holo-vid began playing the planned battle attack.  
  
"Each group will have a different operation role as we close with the enemy ships and once within range, the entire formation will act as one. The positions within this formation were selected to take full advantage of the various strengths, and provide as much protection against the various weaknesses as we were able to accommodate."  
  
"Now as we close with the enemy forces." * * * * * *  
  
"They either knew we were coming to this particular system or they knew that we had plans against Fredis and have pulled their forces back to that location," Captain Licar, Commander of Admiral Elir's Second Division, announced simply.  
  
"Neither of those options is very appealing," Elir said with a growl. "They indicate that we have a spy within our very upper ranks that is feeding the Peacekeepers information."  
  
"There is another option, Admiral," Captain Rena, Commander of the Fourth Division and the most junior officer present, interjected.  
  
"And what is that, Captain?" Elir asked as he turned his attention to one of the few female Captains in his fleet.  
  
"That their new threat attacked them here and they pulled their forces back to their base at Fredis for preparations for a counter-strike," she said with confidence.  
  
"Why would this 'Alliance' attack the Peacekeepers? From what our scouts have gathered they are trying to avoid a conflict with Peacekeeper High Command and their Coalition," Captain Roka of Third Division argued.  
  
"Perhaps they have brought more ships and have the confidence to strike at the Peacekeepers. Perhaps they see the same opportunity that we see. To destroy a large portion of the Coalition naval power before they have a chance to use it. Perhaps they feel that gutting the Peacekeeper frontier forces will give them a position of strength in the negotiation of a non- aggression pact."  
  
The other captains nodded their head and Elir grinned.  
  
"What would you propose that we do then?" Elir asked.  
  
"We need to find out if they are indeed preparing to attack the Peacekeepers at Fredis. If they are, then we can simply go into the system, watch them destroy the Coalition forces there, and then return to our own territory without any losses," Rena proposed but the other two Division Captains hissed.  
  
"And be seen as cowards!" Licar said with a deep growl. "If the Alliance indeed plans to strike Fredis, I say we let them do it. And then we attack while they are weak. Take out two threats at once."  
  
"But the Alliance has posed no threat to us yet," Rena argued. "They pose a threat only to the Peacekeepers because the High Command has already tried to destroy them once. We have made no strikes against this new Alliance. Perhaps if we play our hand well, we can enlist them in our war against the Peacekeepers. And when that war is over, we will know their weaknesses and we will be able to attack them then, with the full of our fleet."  
  
"An alliance with those."  
  
"ENOUGH!" Elir shouted. "Captain Rena, your strategic foresight is impressive, but we have specific orders. WE are to take out the base at Fredis. We will, however, not make any hostile movements toward the Alliance should they appear in the system." He stood. "I want you to return to your divisions and prepare to make our attack on Fredis within two solar days."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Dylan, Crais, John, Fleet Marshall Tiral and General Li'Taran sat in Dylan's office reviewing the latest reports from the Luxon probes.  
  
"It has been confirmed all over the frontier," Li'Taran said with a frown as he flipped the holo-grid off. "They have pulled all of their forces back to Fredis and left only light pickets in each of the border systems."  
  
"Damn it," Tiral said with a growl. "Your new Allies are not as smart as they thought themselves to be, Hunt."  
  
"Our new Allies, Tiral?" Dylan asked with a growl. "They are yours also according to the alliance your Alpha signed. So you will treat them with the same respect that you treat your own troops. Is that understood?"  
  
"Perfectly," Tiral said with a growl.  
  
"This changes nothing," Crais interjected. "We must still strike while they are reforming in Fredis. If we hit them now they will be disorganized and unprepared."  
  
"And they are focused in one place," John said in return. "Their own system with their own defense systems, what a beautiful idea: let's fight their entire task group right at their front door. And who is to say that they haven't laid a trap? They obviously see that we were trying to spread their forces thin by hitting Grenid, what is to say that they didn't see the next logical step of us targeting Fredis and prepared for it?"  
  
"There is nothing to say that they haven't prepared a trap," Li'Taran agreed. "But we must not take the chance of letting them collect their forces and organize an attack plan. If they attack us here, in the Alleghany territory, we will only know they are coming when our pickets make their way through the nebula to warn us. We will be trapped here to wait for them. Yes, we could set a trap of our own, but we would be on the defensive, and that is not something Luxons, nor Ilanics for that matter, like to be on."  
  
"Perhaps we could formulate a plan that would trick the Peacekeepers into believing that we are falling for a trap? They don't know that you have summoned your allies," Crais said to Dylan. "We could launch an attack from the most likely assault vector and when they commit to their trap; your allies could arrive behind them and strike from there."  
  
"That is an idea," Dylan said as he rubbed his chin. "We could have the Sabra-Jaguar, Castilians and the Mobius forces slipstream to the opposite side of the system. We would have to time it right and hope."  
  
An alarm sounded, cutting Dylan off from what he was about to say.  
  
The five leaders rose from around the table and stepped through the hatch onto the command deck.  
  
"Report," Dylan ordered as he passed through the hatch toward the Command Console.  
  
"Luxon probes make it to be a Scarren cruiser, with a full squadron of Strikers in escort," Tyr announced from the weapons console. "She is currently holding at the edge of the system, out of weapons range. We ordered our probes to remain just outside of weapons range."  
  
"Have we received any communication from them?" Dylan asked as he looked over reports on the console.  
  
"Negative."  
  
"All right," Dylan said with a frown. "Have a pair of Luxon destroyers, a Mobius light cruiser and three of the Nietzschean cruisers move closer and hail them. I want to know what they are doing here. And have the Mobians do it. No offense to the Luxons or the Nietzscheans but I think they are better suited for delicate political situations." "No offense taken," Li'Taran said with a nod as the assigned ships began moving closer to the Scarrens. * * * * * *  
  
"They are moving a small picket group toward us," Lieutenant Undin announced on the Scarren cruiser Renid's bridge announced as the ship sat at the edge of the Alleghany system.  
  
"They have gathered quit the fleet," Captain Likas said to no one in particular.  
  
"What are you orders?" Likas' second asked.  
  
"Destroy the first ship to enter weapons range and then pull back. They seem to be bringing quit the force out if they were intent on diplomacy. And have all of our sensor data locked down so no one can tamper with it. I want our leaders to see what this 'Alliance' is up to." * * * * * *  
  
Captain Jamie Alestas watched from the Command deck of the Mobian Light Cruiser Pride and Freedom as the ship slowly edged toward the Scarren warship and her squadron of fighters.  
  
All main weapons systems were on standby, the missile tubes closed and the AP turrets set to defensive only. They were trying to avoid looking like an attack force.  
  
On the holo-grid before her, Jamie saw the Scarren ship surrounded by a thin crimson sphere, marking the observed effective weapons range of that ship. And her ship was about to cross that line.  
  
"All hands, standby for battle-stations," Jamie said into the ship-wide com.  
  
But the crew would never have a chance to go to battle-stations. Every weapon mount on the Scarren cruiser opened fire and the energy storm that ship released tore the Mobian cruiser apart.  
  
The Nietzschean cruisers and Luxon destroyers immediately went into battle- mode, their weapons on-line within moments and their engines to full to get within range of that cruiser before it ran into the sensor-dampening nebula.  
  
But the five Alliance ships never had a chance to open fire. They ran toward the Scarren but were unable to fire a single volley as the ship slipped away into the Nebula and ran from the overwhelming force. * * * * * *  
  
"So the Scarrens wish to make enemies of us also then?" Fleet Admiral Tiral asked rhetorically. "It seems like no one in the part of the universe wants to be your friends, Dylan."  
  
"So it seems," Dylan conceded with a nod. "This doesn't change our plans. If what I understand is correct, the Scarrens and the Peacekeepers are locked in a vicious war on the opposite side of Peacekeeper space. I doubt the Scarrens would want to wage a war on us also. I think that the Cruiser was merely a scout, sent to gather information on us and our intentions. The captain saw our fleet and knew that we may pose a threat to the Scarren empire and so he attacked one of our ships, did all the damage he could do without being destroyed, and then fled back to report his findings to Fleet Command."  
  
The fleet commanders nodded in agreement.  
  
"We launch our assault on Fredis in six hours, people," Dylan said as he stood. "Let's get moving. 


	9. Striking Lightning

Commonscape By: Griffin Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me.  
  
Note: Most of the Andromeda crew is current as far as about 2 months ago. Farscape crew is quite a bit older.  
  
Summary: The Scarrens draw first blood against the Peacekeepers and battle is joined between the two massive fleets. But the combat is intensified as the Alliance arrives to stir things up.  
  
Striking Lightning.  
  
"We are approaching the outer edges of the Grenid system," Elir's second reported as their forward probes began crossing the edge of the outer system.  
  
"All divisions began attack maneuvers," Elir ordered over the Fleet-wide communications band.  
  
As per his previous orders, Elir's first and second divisions would act as the main assault force. Third division was the scout force, already splitting off into squadrons to feel for the enemy forces. Their sensor suites were the best equipped for early detection so the Peacekeepers would be unable to launch any surprises on them. Fourth division, the smallest and least experienced of the divisions, would hold at the edge of the system and slowly follow the other ships in-system to protect against any possible attacks from behind.  
  
"All divisions are acknowledging orders and spreading out into pattern," Elir's second reported.  
  
The Peacekeepers could not know what was about to befall them. They were likely to have focusing so much on the Alliance and their activities that they would not know the Scarren fleet was coming. This meant he would be effectively attacking their rear, where no traps would have been set against the Alliance threat. * * * * * *  
  
"Admiral, patrols in quadrant Deva are reporting an incoming fleet of Scarren warships!" Tilan Eras, Admiral Lira Rashi's Tactical Officer, reported as a hail of red blips appeared on the Fleet Holo-Grid.  
  
"All ships to red status!" Lira ordered as she began scanning the incoming forces.  
  
"They seem to be splitting into four distinct groups," Tilan reported as he highlighted the groups on Lira's holo-grid. "One seems to be fanning out as scout forces to find our ships. Two more are splitting to give us a wide target and the forth seems to be protecting their rear."  
  
"Indeed," Lira said with a nod. "Order all ships to begin counter-attack operation Benal."  
  
Lira's communication officer nodded as she passed the orders on to the rest of the Fleet.  
  
Peacekeeper, Nebari, Scorvian and Hynerian ships acted as one as they formed up to face this threat. The huge Coalition fleet was more than half again the size of the Scarren attack fleet but the Scarrens had the advantage of thicker armor and heavier weapons. Every Coalition captain in the Fleet began preparing their ships for battle. Bringing their defense screens on-line, loading their frag cannon magazines and prepping their fighter craft for launch. Everyone knew how dangerous Scarren strikers could be, and were forming their fighter groups to overwhelm the enemy with numbers.  
  
Hynerian battle cruisers brought their heavy Attika mounts on-line as they moved toward the front of the formation. Those cannons could wreak havoc on any ship that got in their way. Scorvian cruisers moved to the outer edges of the attack force where their sensor jamming systems would confuse the Scarren targeting computers. Nebari destroyers activated their stealth systems and slid away from the main formation to create havoc. And the Peacekeepers brought their new, Wide-Array Defense Screens on-line, a new system that allowed other ships to 'pull' the defense screens over them with a special energy beam. * * * * * *  
  
"Sir, the Coalition forces are moving to meet us. They are spreading out to maximize their strengths. Readings indicate that they have found a way to spread a defense screen out over ships that are not equipped with one."  
  
"That will merely weaken the defense screen. Order all Strikers to focus on the fighters and smaller frigates. I want as few targets out there for our cannons as we can manage."  
  
Scarren warships brought their heavy weapons to bear on the approaching defense fleet. Targeting sensors began probing the formation for enemies to attack and warred with the Scorvian jamming systems.  
  
Strikers prepared themselves to launch from their hanger bays, the pilots preparing their vessels for the battle before them. * * * * * *  
  
And somewhere close, in the twisting nether of the Slipstream, the Alliance fleet approached their destination of Fredis.  
  
Castilians prepared their EMP cannons; a weapon that threw a serious EMP beams at a target, surrounding the target in a net until the vessel's electronics were nullified. Mobians prepared their sensor pods, which would reveal almost anything they were targeted at. Nietzschean Garuda fighters prepared to launch while the Nietzschean cruisers prepared their AP cannons and missile tubes. Luxon and Ilanic battleships prepared to unleash a wave of deadly energy while their fighters prepared to attack with pure brute strength. Independent cruisers prepared their defense screens and prowlers for their role in the attack.  
  
And in the center of it all, the Andromeda Ascendant prepared her Centaur and Shrike fighters. AP turrets were brought on-line and the ship's battle blades prepared to lower into position. And in a few of the missile tubes something new was being prepared for launch.  
  
Seamus Harper had been hard at work since the combat with the Peacekeepers. He had created a weapon that would take advantage of the poor computer controls the Peacekeepers employed. A specially programmed mini-AI that would infect the target ship and take over all of the systems it could manage. And destroy the systems it could not control.  
  
Dylan had been very hesitant to use it. He had argued that if the Peacekeepers managed to capture one of these mini-AI systems they would have a building block for their own AI program.  
  
Only after Harper promised to include a self-destruct, and pointed out that the Peacekeepers would be able to start an AI program should they capture ANY alliance ship, did Dylan authorize the system.  
  
The missile would employ ECM generators to get into launch range. Once they were within communication range, the program would generate itself into the Peacekeeper command network and target a single ship.  
  
Should the system take over the ship, it would completely shut the ship down and turn the internal defenses against the crew until they surrendered.  
  
And Harper had added something to several of the programs that he had not asked about. The programs that would be targeted at the Command Cruisers would have a backdoor that Harper himself could access from the Andromeda. A backdoor that he would be able to open and take control of every system on the ship.  
  
He just hoped that the Peacekeepers really didn't have any AI programs aboard their command cruisers, or expert computer technicians that would be able to boot him from their network.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Forward prowlers and marauders are about to enter weapons range," Tilan Eras announced on the Command Deck of the Command Cruiser Regenta.  
  
"And so it begins," Lira said with a frown.  
  
The first prowlers of the Coalition reached attack range of the Scarren Strikers. The prowlers began evasive maneuvers as they opened fire and battle was joined.  
  
Scorvian Stingers, Nebari Arrows and the Hynerian heavy-class Dreadhammers reached combat soon after and the battle intensified.  
  
The dog-fight was spectacular to watch. The agile yet strong Stingers swarmed the less agile Marauders and Dreadhammers. Their heavy cannons tore at the hulls of their targets, while at the same time their thick hides protected them from the even more agile Prowlers and Arrows.  
  
Scorvian Stingers began drawing single and double Strikers off, away from the assistance of the squadron mates, and the pack mentality of the Stingers prevailed over the Scarren armor.  
  
And then the first of the warships reached range.  
  
Scarren frigates and destroyers matched against Peacekeeper frigates, Scorvian light destroyers, Nebari light frigates and Hynerian destroyers. The exchange of energy and frag cannon fire was brilliant. Frag shells pounded through Scarren hulls and detonated, tearing gaping wounds in the ships. Scarren energy mounts ripped huge gashes in their targets and several Hynerian destroyers exploded majestically as Scarren energy beams lanced through their power plants.  
  
Nebari light frigates turned their heavily armed broadsides toward their enemy and Scarren ships twitched in seeming pain as the lances of solid mass frag shells ripped into their armor.  
  
The light warships fought valiantly as their larger support continued to move into position for the heavy fighting.  
  
And moments before the heavy ships joined in combat, a series of flashes near the other side of the system caught the attention of every sensor in the system. The Alliance had arrived. * * * * * *  
  
"Admiral, we are reading a massive fleet arriving at the far edge of the system horizon!" Elir's second announced sharply.  
  
"The Alliance," Elir said mostly to himself. "All divisions modify attack plan. Do not engage Peacekeeper capitol ships until the Alliance forces have attack. I repeat, all Capitol ships withdraw and await contact between Coalition and Alliance capitol ships!"  
  
The entire Scarren fleet seemed to lurch backwards as the capitol ships pulled back out of range of the Peacekeeper warships. Several of the heavy cruisers took fire from the swarming fighters and an occasional frigate, but the heavy point-defense systems tore apart any attempt at real damage, leaving the Scarren warships unscathed for the time being. * * * * * *  
  
"Ma'am, Alliance fleet has just arrived at the system edge in what appears to be a mass starburst!" Command Tilan Eras reported on the Command Deck of the Regenta.  
  
"What!" Lira shouted as her head snapped to the holo-grid. Another storm of red dots had appeared on the far side of the system.  
  
Lira's world seemed to come crashing down on her. She had two enormous enemy fleets in her face. Alone she could have probably taken out either one of the fleets. But facing the combined force of those two juggernauts, and without knowing the extent of their cooperation, she stood no chance except to try to gut those two fleets.  
  
"Ma'am, what are your orders?" Tilan asked.  
  
"All ships attack the Scarrens with full force," Lira ordered without hesitation. "If we have to go down we will take them with us."  
  
The orders were passed on to the other ships of the fleet and the Peacekeeper warships began pursuing the retreating Scarren capitol ships, their frigate and destroyer escorts clearing enemy fighters and light warships from their path.  
  
The Scarren warships were trying so hard to not retreat, that they were drawn into the range of the deadly peacekeeper cannons. The heavy shells from the Capitol Frag Cannons were the size of prowlers, and most were tipped with highly explosive rounds.  
  
The rounds exploded from their barrels and hurtled through space toward their targets. Some of the huge shells were taken out by point-defense systems. Others had the dumb luck of hitting a passing prowler or light warship. But most hit their mark.  
  
The heavy shells and their armor-piercing tips impacted on the hulls of the Scarren warships and exploded. The armor took most of the force of the explosions. But several of the shells completely broke through the armor and exploded, leaving gaping wounds in their victims.  
  
Several of the Scarren battle cruisers and dreadnaughts were trailing debris and atmosphere. But none had been disabled or destroyed. And the entire Scarren fleet shifted again, moving back toward the Peacekeepers. * * * * * *  
  
"Sir, the Scarrens have already attacked the Peacekeeper fleet!" Tyr announced on the bridge of the Andromeda  
  
"Force size?" Dylan asked as the fleet scanners began picking apart the enemy fleets.  
  
"Peacekeeper size appears to be three Command Cruisers, Five Scorvian dreadnaughts, eight Hynerian carriers and four Nebari battleships with accompanying escorts and picket flotillas," Tyr announced with a frown. "Scarren size isn't quite clear yet. I make it to be three Scarren super dreadnaughts, eleven dreadnaughts and half again normal escorts and pickets. They mean business."  
  
"They wouldn't be attacking the main Peacekeeper base in this portion of space if they didn't mean business," Dylan said absently.  
  
"Shall we proceed?" General Li'Taran asked over the fleet com-link.  
  
"Yes," Dylan said without hesitation. "Proceed with attack plan Alpha. Make best speed to the combat zone."  
  
The Alliance fleet turned toward where the Peacekeepers and Scarrens had joined combat. They estimated almost an hour travel time to the combat zone. Perhaps by then one of the two fleets would have retreated. * * * * * *  
  
The Scarrens were taking a pounding from the Peacekeeper frag cannons and the energy mounts of the stealth Nebari. They fought to see through the Scorvian jamming systems and punch holes through the Wide-Array Deflector Screens.  
  
But they had avoided the wrath of the Hynerian Attika mounts. But that was not to last.  
  
The heart of the Hynerian battle group drove through the Scarren escorts to reach the deadly range of their prized weapons. The huge energy mounts glowed with energy as the Hynerian ships diverted all available power to the weapons.  
  
Scarren dreadnaughts tried to pull out of range, but it was too late.  
  
Huge purple beams of light lanced out from the Hynerian warships, smashing into the sides of the Scarren ships and melting the armor away. The energy ate right through the sides of the warships and gutted the ships unfortunate enough to catch the full force of the beams.  
  
Half a dozen dreadnaughts and a handful of battle cruisers heaved as they were rendered lifeless by the Attika mounts. The crews from the ships worked frantically to get their vessels back on-line as the Hynerians pulled back out of weapons range to recharge their weapons.  
  
Frigates and destroyers swarmed the lifeless hulks of the Scarren warships, firing light weapons at the engines and weapon mounts, rendering the ships immobile and unarmed. * * * * * *  
  
"Forward Mobian ships are entering engagement range of the Peacekeeper fleet," Tyr announced coolly.  
  
"Order all ships to engage all enemy vessels with full force."  
  
"Should we have them leave the Scarrens alone?" Tyr asked.  
  
"I said all enemy vessels. The Scarrens attacked us, they are the enemy."  
  
"Acknowledged," Tyr said as he passed the orders along the fleet tactical network.  
  
The battle was joined quickly.  
  
Mobian cruisers dodged in and out of enemy formations, strafing their targets with their AP turrets. They deployed their powerful sensor pods and the entire Alliance fleet began receiving detailed target information. From ship locations to hull breaches.  
  
The Castilians were the next to enter weapons range. Their EMP cannons had a very short range, forcing them to use the cover of the Alliance fighters to enter range.  
  
The Castilian battleships turned their EMP cannons on the Peacekeeper battle cruisers and Scarren battleships, the most numerous and dangerous of the capitol ships. The command cruisers and dreadnaughts could wait.  
  
The EMP nets fired and almost half of them reached their targets without interference. The affected ships blinked out one by one as their electronic networks were mutilated, silencing their weapons and forcing their crew to use independent oxygen sources.  
  
Nietzschean destroyers, Luxon and Ilanic battleships and Independent battle cruisers entered combat range of the two enemy fleets and the orderly plans laid out by the leaders of the fleets went to hell in a hand-basket as hell's fury was poured out on the fleets. * * * * 8 *  
  
Elir growled as another of his battleships exploded under the fire of the Alliance warships.  
  
He was getting very aggravated. Despite the fact that he had come to this system with enough firepower to eliminate the Peacekeepers and their Coalition, he had been unable to do so. And now the Alliance was showing no mercy in their attacks.  
  
He had expected them to attack the Coalition vessels, and some small part of his brain had hoped that they would leave his ships alone at least until the Peacekeepers were finished. But he had no such luck.  
  
Strikers were tangled in dog-fights with Peacekeeper prowlers, Scorvian stingers, Luxon and Ilanic fighters and strange fighter craft from the unidentified members of the Alliance fleet. They were launching what seemed to be guided projectiles from their weapon mounts and that was what was tearing his fleet to pieces.  
  
Not to mention the fact that a good number of his ships had been left helpless by the energy weapons several of the Alliance ships possessed.  
  
This battle was quickly getting out of hand and Elir looked for any opportunity to salvage the situation. * * * * * *  
  
Lira Rashi looked at the incomplete holo-grid her command deck was able to generate.  
  
Her command carrier had taken a beating from one of the Scarren super dreadnaughts before a combination of frag cannons and Hynerian Attika fire had reduced the ship to so much wreckage.  
  
Repair crews had restored most of the primary functions that had been damaged, but the holo-grid wasn't even considered secondary and so had been ignored.  
  
Lira growled slightly as another of her vessels reported loss of power to their primary drives.  
  
"Give me some options," she ordered her staff as she paced the bridge.  
  
"We focus all of our fire on the Scarrens. We punch a hole through their fleet and run for the inner system, let the Alliance finish off those pigs," Tilan Eras suggested.  
  
"What if they pursue?" Lira asked.  
  
"The Scarrens will not pursue with an enemy at their rear, especially one so powerful as the Alliance has shown to be. And the Alliance will be too busy dealing with the Scarrens to follow us."  
  
"All right," Lira said with a nod. "Order all ships to target the weakest point in the Scarren line and fight our way through. Once clear all ships are to make best speed to the fortresses in-system." * * * * * *  
  
"Dylan, the Coalition is attempting to retreat!" Tyr announced on the command deck of the Andromeda.  
  
The battle had been extremely ugly so far. Many ships had been lost on all sides. Several Castilian battleships had been targeted specifically for their EMP cannons. The ships had been unable to withstand the onslaught of fire from the Scarren dreadnaughts.  
  
And now the Coalition was attempting to retreat to the safety of their fortresses in-system.  
  
"Have the remaining Castilian battleships focus their fire on the Coalition flagships." Dylan turned to Harper at the operations console. "Harper, it's your turn to play. Don't let me down."  
  
"No, sir," Harper said with a grin as he grabbed a data-cable. "Rommie baby, activate those new IP Com-transceivers we installed the other day."  
  
"Are you sure you want to test those now?" Rommie asked skeptically.  
  
"Yeah, babe, positive," Harper said as he loaded his missiles into their tubes and targeted the Coalition capitol ships. "Let's rock and roll!"  
  
The two dozen special missiles launched, along with a hail of jamming warheads and decoys. At least a fair number of the missiles would have to make it to their targets for this to work, and Harper made sure every one of his missiles had the best chance possible.  
  
"Harper, the IP relays are on-line. I'm getting some very strange reactions though," Rommie admitted.  
  
"And what would those be?" Harper asked absent-mindedly as he watched his missiles dodge toward their targets.  
  
"I'm getting FTL signals from the Luxon, Ilanic and Independent vessels."  
  
"Good, then the transceivers are working."  
  
"Harper, what did you do?" Dylan asked with a frown.  
  
"While we were looking over the Independent ships, I noticed that they had FTL communications systems. But we were about to leave the dock so I had the techs install a set on the Andromeda and was gonna test them out after the battle. You know, make sure they were compatible with our hardware."  
  
"I think you proved that they are," Rommie said with a wry smile. "Missiles are entering deployment range. Twenty-one programs have successfully deployed and are beginning operations."  
  
"Rommie, with those FTL com-links, I want you to operate those programs on all of the vessels except for the primary flagship."  
  
"Acknowledged. But why not on the flagship?" Rommie asked with a frown.  
  
"That's my boat," Harper said as he slipped the cable into his data-port.  
  
Harper found himself suddenly in a dark place, not the usual brilliance of an AI core. He looked around in the gloom and frowned.  
  
The ship was not completely stupid. But the AI was very rudimentary. Harper grinned as he called up several programs over the com-link.  
  
The AI core began to light up, golden streaks running along the information lines as his programs began to take over. He watched with glee as ship function after ship function fell under his control.  
  
If the other ships were anywhere near as easy as this, the Coalition fleet would fall within minutes.  
  
But something happened that was very unexpected for such a success. The information lines his programs had taken over were locked down, leaving his programs to sit and wait.  
  
And then something appeared in the AI main frame that was definitely unexpected. The image of another person, behind her a dragon with wings spread and teeth bared.  
  
"This is a Peacekeeper Command Cruiser," the woman said with a growl. "Not the playground for you!"  
  
The woman drew a sword, obviously a disconnect program, and charged toward him.  
  
With a blink, Harper called up his own disconnect program and a hard-link shield, blocking the first blow from the protector.  
  
"Who are you?" He asked as he stepped back.  
  
"I am the Chief Program Tech on this vessel," she snarled. "And that is my AI."  
  
The dragon roared in fury and attacked Harper, he blocked the first strikes but the dragon was relentless. Just as he was about to be booted from the main frame, Harper jumped and found himself back aboard the Andromeda.  
  
"Damn. They may not have Rommie but those AI programs are monsters. And they have techs that watch over the main frame."  
  
"So I noticed," Rommie said with a frown. "Of the successful deployments, only one was able to even capture any systems. Program eleven took over the internal defense systems on a Hynerian battle cruiser and eliminated the protector. Right now I am trapped in combat with the AI and can't get any back up. They jammed any further transmissions. The only reason I can keep fighting is because I have a laser-line com-link via one of the Luxon battleships."  
  
"Keep working on it," Dylan ordered. "It seems the Coalition is going to get away for now. We need to finish off those Scarrens though."  
  
"Agreed," Tyr said with a growl.  
  
"All ships," Dylan ordered over the fleet com-link, "begin targeting Scarren vessels only. Pound them into dust!" * * * * * *  
  
Lira frowned as her ships moved within the protective rang of the Peacekeeper space fortresses. Those fortresses wouldn't be safe for very long, but they would protect the Coalition ships long enough to organize an evacuation of the system.  
  
Lira watched her tattered holo-grid as the Alliance and Scarren fleets turned their whole focus on each other.  
  
Brilliant explosions marked the deaths of warships and their crews. The Alliance ships tore at the Scarrens with their missiles and energy mounts. Their variety of fighter craft overwhelmed the Scarren strikers, tearing the proud ships apart.  
  
It wasn't long before the Scarrens saw the error in continuing and began pulling away. The Alliance chased, tearing at any ship that was unable to make full speed away from the battle zone. As the last Scarren ship passed out of sensor range of the Peacekeeper scanners, Lira wondered what had just been started. And how it would end. 


	10. Falling Rain Part One

Commonscape By: Griffin Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me.  
  
Note: Most of the Andromeda crew is current as far as about 2 months ago. Farscape crew is quite a bit older.  
  
Summary: The Alliance looks to increase their holdings in the battle with the Peacekeepers, while the Scarrens begin their war.  
  
Raising Waters.  
  
Dylan paced on the Command Deck of the Andromeda.  
  
It had only been a month since the Alliance had captured, and the Andromeda was still in the slip. Complications with repairs had caused the estimate of down-time to more than double. His flagship would be stuck in Fredis for at least another two weeks, if not more.  
  
Despite the fact that his flagship was out of commission, Dylan had ordered the assault on the Coalition to continue without the firepower of the Andromeda. As he stood on the Command Deck, looking over the growing Alliance holdings, a Luxon/Nietzschean task force was approaching the Yevin system, where the Coalition maintained a large ground force and scientific facilities. * * * * * *  
  
General Si'Peral frowned as his battleship emerged from the slipstream.  
  
The Luxons were still not accustomed to the ride through the stream, and Si was no exception.  
  
He looked over at his holo-grid as the rest of the joint task force emerged from slipstream and settled into their approach pattern.  
  
The Yevin system didn't boast a significant space force, only a few cruisers, destroyers and frigates. But Alliance Command had decided to err on the side of caution. Beside his battleship, Si had five Luxon battle cruisers, ten destroyers and thirteen frigates. All were fully loaded with their compliment of fighter craft.  
  
His Nietzschean counterpart, and Co-Commander of the Task Force, controlled one Nietzschean battle cruiser, four cruisers, nine destroyers and eleven frigates, as well as the Garuda wings docked aboard those ships.  
  
But what was really the heart of the task force, were the six assault transports near the rear of the formation.  
  
Each of those transports carried two companies of Luxon shock troopers and another two companies of Nietzschean marines. All armed to the teeth and prepared to assault the Peacekeeper ground fortresses that protected their scientific holdings on the planet of Yevin-Three.  
  
"General, Marshall Reynolds has informed us that his lead Garuda wings are detecting activity from the picket," Si'Peral's tactical officer announced.  
  
"Acknowledged," Si'Peral said with a nod. "Order the task force to prepare for battle. Order the Intana and the Peras to remain behind and guard the transports. Tell them to protect those ships at all costs."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Ma'am, I'm reading two of their destroyers breaking off to guard those troop transports," Lieutenant Geri Asai announced on the Command Deck of the Peacekeeper light cruiser Orilas.  
  
"They intend to take the planet by force," Captain Kesi Jeti said mostly to herself. "I want all marine forces landed and instructed to set up defensive perimeters around the scientist compounds. I want anti-air emplacements set up so they can't land on top of them. Once all of the Marines are away, we're going to head for the asteroid belt."  
  
She strolled down the deck to a communications console and activated it.  
  
"This is Captain Jeti to all ship captains. We are going to allow the Alliance to take control of the planet's space. However we are going to make our way to the asteroid belt and harass any ships that we can. I am also sending a courier to the nearest outpost system to retrieve reinforcements."  
  
A wave of assents flowed over the com and Kesi nodded. Shuttles began separating from the ships of her patrols, and once every marine was off- loaded, those ships turned and made best speed to the safety of the asteroid belts.  
  
Kesi had trained her ships on how to use the asteroids as a hiding place against enemy ships, for just this type of incident. That training would keep them safe if the Alliance decided that eliminating the picket was their priority, which she doubted. * * * * * *  
  
"General, the picket has seemingly evacuated all of their shuttles to the planet's surface," Si'Peral's Second reported.  
  
"Probably know we're going after their science facilities and dropped their marines," Si'Peral noted as he frowned. "Make best speed for the planet and order the transports to catch up. I want those ground forces to hit hard and fast. We don't need the Peacekeepers getting a defense plan worked out."  
  
Si'Peral paced the length of his Command deck. The battle for the Yevin outpost had been expected to be long and painful. The sheer amount of ground power the Peacekeepers had permanently stationed there was expected to be a huge threat to deal with. They were likely well entrenched and prepared to fight to the last.  
  
Si'Peral was not privy to what the Science facilities were rumored to hold, only that the Alliance wanted the bases as intact as they could manage, thus ruling out orbital bombardment.  
  
So the Alliance High Command had turned to good old fashioned ground combat, and the thousands of Shock troopers that such an assault would require. Six thousand ground troopers. All heavily armed and armored. Not to mention the artillery they would be provided.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Sub-Officer Alyn Urich frowned as she tightened her armored. Her platoon had been deployed to Bunker Line Seven, right along the main path toward the Science facility in the valley below.  
  
The line of reinforced bunkers was built at the top of the ridge, providing them excellent sight and lines of fire, but also making them prime targets for artillery.  
  
And the Luxons would be bringing artillery.  
  
She didn't have any personal combat experience with the other half of the assault force, soldiers that looked a lot like she did, but she did have some experience with Luxons. And if there was one thing the Luxons brought to a ground fight, it was heavy artillery.  
  
So far none of the science facilities had been attacked. There were six of them spread across the face of this cold-hard rock called Yevin Three. Each was surrounded by two rings of bunkers; controlled a long-range artillery battery; were home to a squadron of prowlers and controlled heavy-duty anti- aircraft emplacements.  
  
And two regiments, six thousand total, of marines and commandos.  
  
They would all be hard nuts to crack.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Sergeant Ivan Derik, Sabra-Jaguar Marine Forces, looked up the battlefield at the ring of bunkers perched on the hill.  
  
He was the Platoon Sergeant, Third Platoon, Baker Company. Lieutenant Aaron Drake and him were in charge of forty-eight other Nietzschean marines and were tasked as the spearhead of Baker Company's assault up the main road to Facility Four.  
  
The Luxon Sat Company would join them in the attack, which would buy time for the Luxon artillery to dig in within range of the bunkers.  
  
Their mission was to reach the bottom of the ridge and dig in. They would make foxholes, shell the bunkers with mortars and prevent any Peacekeeper charges while the Artillery prepared to pound the ridgeline with anti- bunker shells. And when the bunkers were properly pacified, they would take the ridgeline and hold it for the artillery to advance and begin firing on the second ring of bunkers.  
  
Ivan knew the chances of survival in such a charge were somewhat doubtful, but they were high enough to risk the attack. That risk was especially worth taking if High Command thought those science facilities to be so important to the war against the Coalition.  
  
Ivan frowned again. Intel had indicated that only Peacekeeper ground forces were present anywhere on the planet, and that only Peacekeeper warships had been in orbit. That seemed to indicate that the Science facilities were working on something the Peacekeepers didn't exactly want to share with their allies.  
  
"Sergeant," Aaron interrupted over the com. "Command says we go in five. The fighter squadrons are gonna launch some bunker busters and smoke missiles to give us some cover. When I give the word, we roll."  
  
"Yes, sir," Ivan said turning to his troops. "You heard the boss, we roll in five!"  
  
Fifty Nietzschean marines pulled the slides back on their gauss rifles, chambering rounds and disengaging the safeties. They each pulled their helmets down over their heads and rose to crouching positions.  
  
All around them Luxons followed suit, only they stood proudly, as if daring the Peacekeepers to take a shot at them.  
  
Garuda fighters screeched over head, missiles detaching from their bellies as they banked hard to keep out of the anti-aircraft fire.  
  
Several of the missiles streaked toward bunkers, their warheads programmed to bust the concrete structures wide open.  
  
Others hovered near the ground before exploding, expelling huge clouds of grey smoke that covered the advance of the ground forces.  
  
"ROLL!" Ivan shouted to his troops and fifty Marines and fifty Luxon shock troopers charged from the trench and into the smoke.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Here they come!" Alyn shouted as she spotted the enemy fighter craft launch their missiles.  
  
A good portion of the anti-bunker missiles were knocked down by screening fire, but several made it through and Alyn winced as three of her fifteen bunkers exploded, taking five marines each with them.  
  
She looked down the sight of her pulse rifle and frowned as the battlefield was covered in a dense smoke screen.  
  
"This is Bunker Line Seven; we need artillery fire at coordinates Ango-Tera Seven, fire for effect!"  
  
"This is Battery Three, locking on coordinates now. Firing for effect," the Artillery officer reported and seconds later the distinct crack of artillery fire echoed up from the valley.  
  
And seconds after that the thud of those artillery rounds exploding echoed up from the smoke covered plains.  
  
The shells those cannons were firing were specially designed to shred attacking ground forces. They exploded a metre above the ground and ejected shrapnel in all directions. But they were designed for unarmored personnel, and at least the non-Luxons were armored.  
  
Alyn growled as she looked through her monoculars at the far end of the battle field.  
  
As expected, the Luxons had brought artillery, and they were moving them to effective range.  
  
"This is Bunker Line Seven; enemy is moving artillery into firing range. Estimate seven hundred metres from position. Can you target?"  
  
"Negative, Line Seven. Maximum range is five hundred metres. Command estimates two-thirds of an arn before those guns are in place. You're on your own."  
  
Alyn Urich growled and shut the com as she looked down at the battlefield.  
  
A good number of the enemy troops had escaped the artillery barrage and were charging toward the base of the ridge.  
  
"This is Sub-Officer Urich to all Line Seven bunkers, target enemy ground forces and open fire!"  
  
Streams of pulse fire flowed from the twelve bunkers and Alyn smiled slightly as she saw enemies fall.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ivan had only lost three troops to the artillery barrage. Their armor had been specially designed to repel shrapnel strikes, much like the ones they had just been subjected to.  
  
The Luxons had lost five troops to the strikes, their lighter armor not being designed to withstand the shelling, but they were still going strong.  
  
As the Marines and Shock troops cleared the smoke clouds, the bunkers above opened fire with pulse rifles and cannons.  
  
Ivan grimaced as a pair of his marines fell, heavy machine-gunners carrying 12mm auto-cannons. Two of his other marines quickly picked up the weaponry, though, and charged toward the safety of the ridge base.  
  
Ivan ducked under the make-shift wire fence erected to slow them down, diving to the ground and rolling onto his back to watch his troops follow suit.  
  
One marine tried going over a low spot in the fence, and just as he was about to land, a solid stream of pulse fire tore him apart.  
  
As Ivan turned, he realized that Lieutenant Drake had just been killed.  
  
"Boss is down!" He shouted over the com-line. "Check in!"  
  
Ivan leaned back against the hill and listened as all but seven of his marines checked in. The Luxons had lost a total of eight so far, but none of the mortar teams.  
  
"All mortar teams, set range at fifty meters and start with flare shells. I want to see how close we get!"  
  
The five mortar teams set their weapons into position and dropped flare shells into the barrels. The thud of mortar fire echoed down the line as ten mortars, five Nietzschean and five Luxon, opened fire.  
  
The flare shells arched up the ridge side and landed about fifteen meters short of their targets.  
  
"Alpha mortar teams: set new range at sixty meters. Load flash-bang rounds. Baker mortar teams, set range at sixty-five meters, thud shells! We're moving up the hill. Move up ten meters and reset!"  
  
The first set of mortars fired, their shells arching up and exploding, emitting bright light and electronic jamming particles. The second volley was close behind, detonating with a deafening crack. Under the cover of the enemy's confusion, the marines crawled up the hill side and flattened themselves to the dirt.  
  
"Dig in here!" Ivan ordered as he quickly dug himself a foxhole. "Mortar teams set range at fifty-five meters and load up the high explosives. Let's crack these bunkers open!"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Alyn growled as she shook her head. Her bunker had been hit by two thuds and three flashes.  
  
All five of the marines inside were heavily disoriented and the auto- tracking cannons were off-line thanks to the jamming elements in the grenades.  
  
She recovered just in time to see the enemy troops advance another ten meters up the hill.  
  
"Damn it!" She shouted as she tried picking off a marine and failed. "They are gonna start hitting us with explosive shells! Lock down the upper portholes. Open up the top and start hitting them with mortars. I don't want those bastards surviving to take this ridge!"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"All forward marine units, artillery batteries are in place. Firing is commencing. Hold tight."  
  
Ivan grimaced as he heard the crack of distant artillery fire and the deadly whistle of incoming shells.  
  
He had lost a mortar team and four more marines to the return fire from the bunkers. But he had successfully cracked open one of the bunkers and leveled another with fire.  
  
Now the artillery was ready to go and that was going to be ugly.  
  
Ivan raised his arm to indicate a cease-fire and then waved to order them to dig in further. The marines were ready when the first artillery shells hit the ridge-line.  
  
The bunker-buster shells were precisely targeted using satellite images, meaning that they were going to hit their targets.  
  
And surely enough, all but one of the remaining bunkers exploded fantastically, leaving the way open for the marines.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Alyn Urich struggled to her feet in the cracked shell of Bunker Seven-One. Hers was the only bunker to survive the attack, and she wondered why that was.  
  
But her curiosity quickly faded as she took account of her troops. One dead, one incapacitated.  
  
Three were still able to fight, counting herself.  
  
And the enemy was charging.  
  
"Pulse rifles to full! Tear them apart!"  
  
Each marine pushed two rifles through the portholes in the bunker, creating six streams of fire to tear the attackers apart.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ivan dove to the ground as the last remaining bunker created six streams of pulse fire. Five of his marines were cut down and three Luxons fell as well.  
  
"Why won't you die?" He shouted. "Sanchez, I want a grenade in that bunker! All units, cover for him!"  
  
All of the remaining marines turned their fire on the lone bunker, riddling the concrete with gauss and pulse fire.  
  
Private Sanchez grabbed a high explosive grenade from his belt and pulled the detonator pin. When the fire from the bunker was stifled, he stood and threw the grenade.  
  
He never missed.  
  
Not even now.  
  
The single grenade made it through a weapon porthole barely big enough to accommodate the sphere. And before they could escape, the five marines inside were incinerated. Never to fire another round in the defense of the science facilities. And leaving the path wide open for the advancing Alliance ground forces. 


	11. Raising Waters

Commonscape By: Griffin Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me.  
  
Note: Most of the Andromeda crew is current as far as about 2 months ago. Farscape crew is quite a bit older.  
  
Summary: The Alliance looks to increase their holdings in the battle with the Peacekeepers, while the Scarrens begin their war.  
  
Raising Waters.  
  
Dylan paced on the Command Deck of the Andromeda.  
  
It had only been a month since the Alliance had captured, and the Andromeda was still in the slip. Complications with repairs had caused the estimate of down-time to more than double. His flagship would be stuck in Fredis for at least another two weeks, if not more.  
  
Despite the fact that his flagship was out of commission, Dylan had ordered the assault on the Coalition to continue without the firepower of the Andromeda. As he stood on the Command Deck, looking over the growing Alliance holdings, a Luxon/Nietzschean task force was approaching the Yevin system, where the Coalition maintained a large ground force and scientific facilities. * * * * * *  
  
General Si'Peral frowned as his battleship emerged from the slipstream.  
  
The Luxons were still not accustomed to the ride through the stream, and Si was no exception.  
  
He looked over at his holo-grid as the rest of the joint task force emerged from slipstream and settled into their approach pattern.  
  
The Yevin system didn't boast a significant space force, only a few cruisers, destroyers and frigates. But Alliance Command had decided to err on the side of caution. Beside his battleship, Si had five Luxon battle cruisers, ten destroyers and thirteen frigates. All were fully loaded with their compliment of fighter craft.  
  
His Nietzschean counterpart, and Co-Commander of the Task Force, controlled one Nietzschean battle cruiser, four cruisers, nine destroyers and eleven frigates, as well as the Garuda wings docked aboard those ships.  
  
But what was really the heart of the task force, were the seven assault transports near the rear of the formation.  
  
Each of those transports carried a full battalion of Luxon shock troopers and another battalion of Nietzschean marines. All armed to the teeth and prepared to assault the Peacekeeper ground fortresses that protected their scientific holdings on the planet of Yevin-Three.  
  
"General, Marshall Reynolds has informed us that his lead Garuda wings are detecting activity from the picket," Si'Peral's tactical officer announced.  
  
"Acknowledged," Si'Peral said with a nod. "Order the task force to prepare for battle. Order the Intana and the Peras to remain behind and guard the transports. Tell them to protect those ships at all costs."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Ma'am, I'm reading two of their destroyers breaking off to guard those troop transports," Lieutenant Geri Asai announced on the Command Deck of the Peacekeeper light cruiser Orilas.  
  
"They intend to take the planet by force," Captain Kesi Jeti said mostly to herself. "I want all marine forces landed and instructed to set up defensive perimeters around the scientist compounds. I want anti-air emplacements set up so they can't land on top of them. Once all of the Marines are away, we're going to head for the asteroid belt."  
  
She strolled down the deck to a communications console and activated it.  
  
"This is Captain Jeti to all ship captains. We are going to allow the Alliance to take control of the planet's space. However we are going to make our way to the asteroid belt and harass any ships that we can. I am also sending a courier to the nearest outpost system to retrieve reinforcements."  
  
A wave of assents flowed over the com and Kesi nodded. Shuttles began separating from the ships of her patrols, and once every marine was off- loaded, those ships turned and made best speed to the safety of the asteroid belts.  
  
Kesi had trained her ships on how to use the asteroids as a hiding place against enemy ships, for just this type of incident. That training would keep them safe if the Alliance decided that eliminating the picket was their priority, which she doubted. * * * * * *  
  
"General, the picket has seemingly evacuated all of their shuttles to the planet's surface," Si'Peral's Second reported.  
  
"Probably know we're going after their science facilities and dropped their marines," Si'Peral noted as he frowned. "Make best speed for the planet and order the transports to catch up. I want those ground forces to hit hard and fast. We don't need the Peacekeepers getting a defense plan worked out."  
  
Si'Peral paced the length of his Command deck. The battle for the Yevin outpost had been expected to be long and painful. The sheer amount of ground power the Peacekeepers had permanently stationed there was expected to be a huge threat to deal with. They were likely well entrenched and prepared to fight to the last.  
  
Si'Peral was not privy to what the Science facilities were rumored to hold, only that the Alliance wanted the bases as intact as they could manage, thus ruling out orbital bombardment.  
  
So the Alliance High Command had turned to good old fashioned ground combat, and the thousands of Shock troopers that such an assault would require. Seven thousand ground troopers. All heavily armed and armored. Not to mention the artillery they would be provided.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Sub-Officer Alyn Urich frowned as she tightened her armored. Her platoon had been deployed to Bunker Line Seven, right along the main path toward the Science facility in the valley below.  
  
The line of reinforced bunkers was built at the top of the ridge, providing them excellent sight and lines of fire, but also making them prime targets for artillery.  
  
And the Luxons would be bringing artillery.  
  
She didn't have any personal combat experience with the other half of the assault force, soldiers that looked a lot like she did, but she did have some experience with Luxons. And if there was one thing the Luxons brought to a ground fight, it was heavy artillery.  
  
So far none of the science facilities had been attacked. There were six of them spread across the face of this cold-hard rock called Yevin Three. Each was surrounded by two rings of bunkers; controlled a long-range artillery battery; were home to a squadron of prowlers and controlled heavy-duty anti- aircraft emplacements.  
  
And two battalions, seven thousand total, of marines and commandos.  
  
They would all be hard nuts to crack.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Sergeant Ivan Derik, Sabra-Jaguar Marine Forces, looked up the battlefield at the ring of bunkers perched on the hill.  
  
He was the Platoon Sergeant, Charlie Platoon, Baker Company. Lieutenant Aaron Drake and him were in charge of forty-eight other Nietzschean marines and were tasked as the spearhead of Baker Company's assault up the main road to Facility Four.  
  
The Luxon Serat Company would join them in the attack, which would buy time for the Luxon artillery to dig in within range of the bunkers.  
  
Their mission was to reach the bottom of the ridge and dig in. They would make foxholes, shell the bunkers with mortars and prevent any Peacekeeper charges while the Artillery prepared to pound the ridgeline with anti- bunker shells. And when the bunkers were properly pacified, they would take the ridgeline and hold it for the artillery to advance and begin firing on the second ring of bunkers.  
  
Ivan knew the chances of survival in such a charge were somewhat doubtful, but they were high enough to risk the attack. That risk was especially worth taking if High Command thought those science facilities to be so important to the war against the Coalition.  
  
Ivan frowned again. Intel had indicated that only Peacekeeper ground forces were present anywhere on the planet, and that only Peacekeeper warships had been in orbit. That seemed to indicate that the Science facilities were working on something the Peacekeepers didn't exactly want to share with their allies.  
  
"Sergeant," Aaron interrupted over the com. "Command says we go in five. The fighter squadrons are gonna launch some bunker busters and smoke missiles to give us some cover. When I give the word, we roll."  
  
"Yes, sir," Ivan said turning to his troops. "You heard the boss, we roll in five!"  
  
Fifty Nietzschean marines pulled the slides back on their gauss rifles, chambering rounds and disengaging the safeties. They each pulled their helmets down over their heads and rose to crouching positions.  
  
All around them Luxons followed suit, only they stood proudly, as if daring the Peacekeepers to take a shot at them.  
  
Garuda fighters screeched over head, missiles detaching from their bellies as they banked hard to keep out of the anti-aircraft fire.  
  
Several of the missiles streaked toward bunkers, their warheads programmed to bust the concrete structures wide open.  
  
Others hovered near the ground before exploding, expelling huge clouds of grey smoke that covered the advance of the ground forces.  
  
"ROLL!" Ivan shouted to his troops and fifty Marines and fifty Luxon shock troopers charged from the trench and into the smoke.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Here they come!" Alyn shouted as she spotted the enemy fighter craft launch their missiles.  
  
A good portion of the anti-bunker missiles were knocked down by screening fire, but several made it through and Alyn winced as three of her fifteen bunkers exploded, taking five marines each with them.  
  
She looked down the sight of her pulse rifle and frowned as the battlefield was covered in a dense smoke screen.  
  
"This is Bunker Line Seven, we need artillery fire at coordinates Ango-Tera Seven, fire for effect!"  
  
"This is Battery Three, locking on coordinates now. Firing for effect," the Artillery officer reported and seconds later the distinct crack of artillery fire echoed up from the valley.  
  
And seconds after that the thud of those artillery rounds exploding echoed up from the smoke covered plains.  
  
The shells those cannons were firing were specially designed to shred attacking ground forces. They exploded a metre above the ground and ejected shrapnel in all directions. But they were designed for unarmored personnel, and at least the non-Luxons were armored.  
  
Alyn growled as she looked through her monoculars at the far end of the battle field.  
  
As expected, the Luxons had brought artillery, and they were moving them to effective range.  
  
"This is Bunker Line Seven, enemy is moving artillery into firing range. Estimate seven hundred metres from position. Can you target?"  
  
"Negative, Line Seven. Maximum range is five hundred metres. Command estimates two-thirds of an arn before those guns are in place. You're on your own."  
  
Alyn Urich growled and shut the com as she looked down at the battlefield.  
  
A good number of the enemy troops had escaped the artillery barrage and were charging toward the base of the ridge.  
  
"This is Sub-Officer Urich to all Line Seven bunkers, target enemy ground forces and open fire!"  
  
Streams of pulse fire flowed from the twelve bunkers and Alyn smiled slightly as she saw enemies fall.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ivan had only lost three troops to the artillery barrage. Their armor had been specially designed to repel shrapnel strikes, much like the ones they had just been subjected to.  
  
The Luxons had lost five troops to the strikes, their lighter armor not being designed to withstand the shelling, but they were still going strong.  
  
As the Marines and Shock troops cleared the smoke clouds, the bunkers above opened fire with pulse rifles and cannons.  
  
Ivan grimaced as a pair of his marines fell, heavy machine-gunners carrying 12mm auto-cannons. Two of his other marines quickly picked up the weaponry, though, and charged toward the safety of the ridge base.  
  
Ivan ducked under the make-shift wire fence erected to slow them down, diving to the ground and rolling onto his back to watch his troops follow suit.  
  
One marine tried going over a low spot in the fence, and just as he was about to land, a solid stream of pulse fire tore him apart.  
  
As Ivan turned, he realized that Lieutenant Drake had just been killed.  
  
"Boss is down!" He shouted over the com-line. "Check in!"  
  
Ivan leaned back against the hill and listened as all but seven of his marines checked in. The Luxons had lost a total of eight so far, but none of the mortar teams.  
  
"All mortar teams, set range at fifty meters and start with flare shells. I want to see how close we get!"  
  
The five mortar teams set their weapons into position and dropped flare shells into the barrels. The thud of mortar fire echoed down the line as ten mortars, five Nietzschean and five Luxon, opened fire.  
  
The flare shells arched up the ridge side and landed about fifteen meters short of their targets.  
  
"Alpha mortar teams: set new range at sixty meters. Load flash-bang rounds. Baker mortar teams, set range at sixty-five meters, thud shells! We're moving up the hill. Move up ten meters and reset!"  
  
The first set of mortars fired, their shells arching up and exploding, emitting bright light and electronic jamming particles. The second volley was close behind, detonating with a deafening crack. Under the cover of the enemy's confusion, the marines crawled up the hill side and flattened themselves to the dirt.  
  
"Dig in here!" Ivan ordered as he quickly dug himself a foxhole. "Mortar teams set range at fifty-five meters and load up the high explosives. Let's crack these bunkers open!"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Alyn growled as she shook her head. Her bunker had been hit by two thuds and three flashes.  
  
All five of the marines inside were heavily disoriented and the auto- tracking cannons were off-line thanks to the jamming elements in the grenades.  
  
She recovered just in time to see the enemy troops advance another ten meters up the hill.  
  
"Damn it!" She shouted as she tried picking off a marine and failed. "They are gonna start hitting us with explosive shells! Lock down the upper portholes. Open up the top and start hitting them with mortars. I don't want those bastards surviving to take this ridge!"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"All forward marine units, artillery batteries are in place. Firing is commencing. Hold tight."  
  
Ivan grimaced as he heard the crack of distant artillery fire and the deadly whistle of incoming shells.  
  
He had lost a mortar team and four more marines to the return fire from the bunkers. But he had successfully cracked open one of the bunkers and leveled another with fire.  
  
Now the artillery was ready to go and that was going to be ugly.  
  
Ivan raised his arm to indicate a cease-fire and then waved to order them to dig in further. The marines were ready when the first artillery shells hit the ridge-line.  
  
The bunker-buster shells were precisely targeted using satellite images, meaning that they were going to hit their targets.  
  
And surely enough, all but one of the remaining bunkers exploded fantastically, leaving the way open for the marines.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Alyn Urich struggled to her feet in the cracked shell of Bunker Seven-One. Hers was the only bunker to survive the attack, and she wondered why that was.  
  
But her curiosity quickly faded as she took account of her troops. One dead, one incapacitated.  
  
Three were still able to fight, counting herself.  
  
And the enemy was charging.  
  
"Pulse rifles to full! Tear them apart!"  
  
Each marine pushed two rifles through the portholes in the bunker, creating six streams of fire to tear the attackers apart.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ivan dove to the ground as the last remaining bunker created six streams of pulse fire. Five of his marines were cut down and three Luxons fell as well.  
  
"Why won't you die?" He shouted. "Sanchez, I want a grenade in that bunker! All units, cover for him!"  
  
All of the remaining marines turned their fire on the lone bunker, riddling the concrete with gauss and pulse fire.  
  
Private Sanchez grabbed a high explosive grenade from his belt and pulled the detonator pin. When the fire from the bunker was stifled, he stood and threw the grenade.  
  
He never missed.  
  
Not even now.  
  
The single grenade made it through a weapon porthole barely big enough to accommodate the sphere. And before they could escape, the five marines inside were incinerated. Never to fire another round in the defense of the science facilities. And leaving the path wide open for the advancing Alliance ground forces. 


	12. Crashing Waves Part One

Commonscape By: Griffin Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me.  
  
Note: Most of the Andromeda crew is current as far as about 2 months ago. Farscape crew is quite a bit older.  
  
Summary: The Scarren Empire makes its first strike against the Peacekeepers .  
  
Crashing Waves.(Part 1)  
  
Commodore Elir frowned as he paced along the command deck of his battle cruiser.  
  
His failure to take control of the Peacekeeper system of Fredis had resulted in his immediate demotion to Commodore and his placement aboard the light cruiser Undying Fury as the flag officer of a frigate flotilla.  
  
He looked at his tactical holo-grid as that flotilla lead the Scarren charge into the Jeris system, the leading outpost of the Peacekeeper fleet along the Peacekeeper-Scarren border.  
  
The fleet was just inside the maximum sensor envelope for the outer Prowler patrols. Those patrols had been spotted by the leading Strikers almost an arn ago. The Peacekeepers would likely be scrambling their picket to active status and launching their Prowler and Marauder compliments any minute now.  
  
Elir switched the focus on his holo-grid and growled slightly at the size of the fleet behind.  
  
While the Admiralty had blamed the loss at Fredis on his incompetence, they had ultimately learned their lesson as far as the Coalition went. They had doubled the original size of the Incursion fleet and had provided additional Striker squadrons as support.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Sub-Officer Iris Penal frowned as she banked her prowler around for another look at the incoming sensor ghosts.  
  
Her squadron had picked the ghosts up several microts earlier and was moving out to check on their identity.  
  
Command indicated that they were probably just neutral traders in-bound from the border worlds, but had cautioned that there was a slim possibility of Scarren presence this close to the Imperial Border.  
  
"This is Tera Seven to Tera Leader, approaching effective sensor range of contacts. Stand-by for identification," Iris told the commanding officer of the squadron, who was safely ensconced in the command chair of a marauder fifty metres behind her.  
  
"Roger that, Tera Seven," the arrogant voice replied. "Keep your eyes open and your trigger ready."  
  
Iris shook her head at the reminder and brought her prowler closer to the outer edge of the system, and to the sensor ghosts.  
  
Even if the contacts were Scarren, they wouldn't be able to effectively attack her at this range, not with the energy weapons Scarren strikers favored.  
  
Iris frowned as the contacts began to solidify in her tactical grid. At least fourteen of them were beginning to harden. That wasn't good. And they were flying in formation. That was also not good.  
  
Trade convoys tended to either fly in clusters or in a train-like formation. They rarely, if ever, travel in formations.  
  
She watched as the green sphere on her grid, indicating a hard sensor lock from her array, crossed over the yellow triangles of the unknown contacts.  
  
It took the light-speed radar five seconds to reach the targets and another five to return to Iris' arrays.  
  
And after that ten second pause, those fourteen yellow triangles turned a violent red and alarms sounded in her ear.  
  
"Enemy ships inbound!" She announced into her com as she pulled her prowler around for a quick retreat. "Counted advance wing of fourteen Scarren Strikers in attack formation."  
  
"Acknowledged," Tera leader announced. "All ships return to base. I repeat, all ships return to base."  
  
Tera squadron, twelve prowlers and one marauder, turned quickly back toward the safety of the fleet, their com systems announcing the coming battle to all of the Coalition ships in-system. * * * * * *  
  
"Arma wing has reported contact with enemy prowler patrols," Commander Tirash reported aboard the Scarren super dreadnaught Rightful Conquest.  
  
"Acknowledged," Admiral Rishu, Commanding Officer of Scarren Incursion Force One, said as he watched his holo-grid.  
  
The outline of the Coalition fleet was vague so far, not even Scarren sensors could give him a clear picture of the opposition this early. As soon as those ships lit their drives he would have numbers, but those would be vague when one considered the possibility of stealth drives.  
  
He watched the green formations of Strikers, frigates, destroyers and light cruisers as they spread out to feel for the enemy forces and frowned as the Coalition began lighting up.  
  
The picket force would be at least as large as Intelligence had estimated, if not slightly larger. He had reviewed the data-chips from the Battle of Fredis and knew that taking the Coalition's combination of weapon technologies would be foolish.  
  
His planners had been able to revise the attack plan with that data, to minimize the effects of the Coalition technology on Scarren formations. But as any battle veteran knew, the plan only held together until the first shots were fired.  
  
Rishu watched the holo-grid as his computer tagged each lighting drive signature with estimates on size and class. He spotted at least eight Hynerian battle cruisers, three of their Carriers, three Peacekeeper Command Cruisers, twelve of their battle cruisers, five Scorvian dreadnaughts and nine Nebari battleships; as well as a host of escort flotillas.  
  
He knew from previous experience with the Nebari that their stealth destroyers were a force to be reckoned with and had devoted a full squadron of heavy cruisers to the Eri-class observation ships.  
  
Those ships had the best sensor suites available in the Scarren Empire and were usually tasked with surveillance or deep space exploration. Their vast arrays of scanners were supposed to pick up the destroyers before they became a threat.  
  
The Eri-class ships would also serve as a counter to the extremely powerful Scorvian jamming devices that had blinded the Scarrens in the Battle of Fredis.  
  
The thing that worried Rishu the most, however, was the Hynerians and their Attika mounts. Those excessively powerful cannons would tear his smaller ships to pieces and leave his capitol ships incapacitated.  
  
In his planning, Rishu had instructed that a large number of the escorts were to target the Hynerian battle cruisers before they reached combat range of the Scarren capitol ships. He wanted those ships taken out no matter what the cost.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Admiral Uri Polits frowned as his picket scrambled to assemble in the face of the coming Scarren attack.  
  
He cursed his luck as he pulled his helmet on over the combat suit and watched the Coalition picket assemble.  
  
All told he controlled ten Hynerian battle cruisers, five of their Carriers, three Peacekeeper Command Cruisers, sixteen of their battle cruisers, eight Scorvian dreadnaughts and ten Nebari battleships. Not to mention the hordes of frigates, destroyers, light cruisers and heavy cruisers, and the throngs of fighter craft.  
  
He felt confident that he could hold the system and watched as his fighter wings began deploying from their mother ships.  
  
Scorvian Stingers, Nebari Arrows, Hynerian Dreadhammers and Peacekeeper Prowlers and Marauders, began forming in wings among the front-lines of his combat formation.  
  
He intended to use his massive numbers of fighters to tear the front ranks of Scarren light warships apart and throw his escorts at the Capitol ships until his heavy firepower could bring itself into range.  
  
He frowned slightly at the thought of so many lives lost, but it had to be done.  
  
He rotated his holo-grid ever so slightly and watched as two squadrons of Nebari destroyers drifted away from the main formation and toward the flank of the Scarren force. Those ships would utilize their stealth systems to remain hidden from the Scarrens until the Capitol ships were involved in combat. The destroyers would then attack the Scarren capitol ships from the rear and hopefully tear some of those Scarren super dreadnaughts apart.  
  
"Admiral, fleet is assembled and ready to proceed," Uri's second in command announced.  
  
"All right then, let's show those scum what we're made of," Uri said as he signaled the fleet forward into the jaws of the beast.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Sub-Officer Iris Penal rode at her wingman's side as the formation closed with the Scarrens.  
  
Tera Squadron had been deployed as the second Peacekeeper wave that would strike the Scarren formation and were assigned to go straight for the enemy escorts. The first wave of Coalition fighters would work at occupying the Scarren Strikers while the second wave charged in and released the missiles attached to their hulls.  
  
The weapons were prototypes from Coalition R & D, copies of similar Alliance designs. So far the Coalition was unable to give the missiles any targeting computers, so the delivery mechanism was ballistic flight.  
  
Against a fighter that would be nearly impossible, but against a warship, even one so small as a Scarren frigate, it would be rather simple.  
  
Iris frowned as she ran her finger over the rather simply release mechanism attached to the four, two hundred kilo bombs that her prowler carried into battle.  
  
One stray shot from an enemy cannon could detonate any one of those bombs and tear her prowler into pieces.  
  
She shook her head as she recalled the short briefing on the weapon and the rather simply targeting instructions.  
  
"Aim for the nose of the ship, press release and bug out," Commander Sina had told them as their prowlers had been rigged for battle in the hanger of the Peacekeeper flagship, the Vanguard of Victory.  
  
She looked through the cockpit of her tiny fighter to her wingman, his grin confident as he gave her the thumbs up and locked down for battle.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Commodore Elir watched as the two fleets moved closer and closer toward each other, strangely similar to the combat he had been involved in not less than a solar month ago.  
  
But this time the formations were much different. Apparently the commander of that Coalition fleet had something else in mind than the Fleet Commander at Fredis had.  
  
He recognized the difference almost instantly. This commander thought that he could win. The other had doubted that fact.  
  
This defense was not a defense of all-or-nothing. It was carefully laid out to minimize Coalition casualties while maximizing Scarren losses.  
  
But he also knew that the Scarren approach would be different. This time those damned Hynerians wouldn't get their heavy guns into range to bring the powerful Scarren super dreadnaughts to their knees.  
  
He let a feral growl escape his throat and stood in front of the main holo- grid as the lead fighter squadrons reached range.  
  
* * * * * * Sergeant Terris pulled the nose of his Dreadhammer to bear on the first Scarren Striker to enter his view.  
  
While Hynerians were not particularly effective in ground combat, thanks to their small size and reliance on hover-chairs, they were deadly in space combat, where their neural links to their hardware eliminated any problems caused by the physical world.  
  
And the Hynerian Dreadhammers were the culmination of years of research.  
  
They were heavily armored, their plating tested to resist at least five direct Peacekeeper pulse blasts and Four Scarren plasma bolts. Their engines were capable of driving them to speeds that any Peacekeeper similarly constructed would be hard pressed to maintain.  
  
And the power of their quad-pulse cannons was unmatched in fighter combat. Those weapons could easily be mounted to a Frigate as a main armament. And the Dreadhammers each carried four.  
  
So when Terris pulled the trigger on his flight stick, the Striker in his reticule had no chance to survive.  
  
The brilliant flash registered on every sensor within four hundred metres, but no one had the time to look. They were all busy with their own targets.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Iris Penal watched as the first wave of Coalition craft entered combat with the Scarren striker wings.  
  
Green circles and red triangles vanished from her grid as brilliant flashes erupted in space.  
  
She watched as Hynerian Dreadhammers strafed rows of damage in the Scarren wings, Nebari Arrows darted between enemy craft, eluding plasma fire. Scorvian Stinger packs drew lone Strikers off and tore them apart with brutal simplicity. Peacekeeper Prowlers avoided enemy fire with ease while Marauders waded into combat and dealt hot death to anyone who got in their way.  
  
But the Scarren Striker pilots were good at what they did and Iris frowned as the heavy plasma cannons tore apart ship after ship with ease.  
  
"First wave, clear the path. Second wave, prepared to begin attack runs," a voice ordered on the Fleet-Com band.  
  
Iris pulled her restraints in a little closer and tightened her grip on her flight stick as she prepared to make her run.  
  
Tera squadron had been split into two groups, bombers and escorts. Six of the prowlers had been fitted with four bombs each and the other six had been fitted with sensor suites that would make them the targets.  
  
The lone Marauder was to stay back and direct the attack.  
  
"Lazy," was the only word Iris could utter without using more vulgar terms for the commanding officer of Tera squadron.  
  
"Begin run now," the voice ordered and the Second wave jumped forward on increased thrust.  
  
Only the Prowlers and Arrows had been mounted with the bombs, being the fastest fighters in the fleet. The Arrows, while being faster, were too small to mount four of the bombs. The bombers instead carried three of the bombs and sacrificed their optional belly mount plasma cannon.  
  
They wouldn't need the cannon anyways.  
  
Iris rolled her ship through an evasive maneuver as a Striker realized what she was carrying and tried to tag her with plasma fire.  
  
The attack missed and moments later that Striker was destroyed as Iris' wingman took the enemy down with a hail of pulse fire.  
  
But the other strikers quickly caught on to the Coalition plan.  
  
They tried to break off from the First wave fighters, but that left their aft exposed.  
  
Dozens of Strikers exploded as they were targeted from behind and killed by Coalition fire.  
  
Iris grinned as she realized that they would be facing minimal attack from the Strikers, a smile that quickly faded as she realized the Coalition ships would be the only targets for the Scarren point-defense cannons.  
  
Her wingman lowered into her flight path to hide her signature from the PD systems as the frigates and destroyers began firing on the incoming fighters.  
  
Prowlers and Arrows exploded as plasma fire tore into their hulls, or smashed into the bombs they carried beneath them.  
  
The pilots rolled and dodged their fighters, keeping the turrets tracking and limiting the number of hits scored.  
  
Iris was one of the few pilots that had drawn the duty of making a run for the Command Deck of her assigned target.  
  
The heaviest weapons fire was focused there and she winced as a pair of Arrows succumbed to enemy fire.  
  
She noted brilliant explosions all along the hull of the destroyer as bombers reached their targets and released their ordinance. The un-powered bombs drew no fire from the Scarren point-defense cannons and smashed into the hull.  
  
The bombs were basically frag shells, though slightly improved to provide stable flight. They were equipped with armor piercing tips and heavy explosives.  
  
Iris watched as one of the other bombers assigned to make a run on the bridge got scared and released early, the three bombs falling from her arrow and slamming into one of the destroyer's main guns.  
  
The gun exploded and with it the magazine compartment below it. Debris exploded into space and more than once Iris had to dodge a stray plasma shell that had somehow evaded death.  
  
Iris watched carefully as the orange circle in her targeting screen approached. That was her release point.  
  
"Seven tighten up!" Her wingman shouted over the com as point defense fire erupt from ahead of them.  
  
"I am fine, Eight!" She replied gruffly as she dodged a launching plasma shell.  
  
"Seven, tighten your run!" Tera Leader ordered and Iris flipped off her com.  
  
Iris focused intently on the orange circle before her. Fifty metres until she could drop.  
  
She rolled through a hail of fire and swore as her vector changed. She pulled herself back into her run and hit a serious of switches. Only her life support, targeting and engines were left on-line. She wasn't going to need her weapons, and the reduced energy signature would make her a smaller target.  
  
Forty metres.  
  
Tera Eight dodged out of the attack run and Iris blinked as a plasma bolt enveloped the Prowler. Her wingman had deviated from his approach. It was his own fault.  
  
Thirty metres.  
  
The Command Deck was visible now. A tower raising from the hull of the light cruiser like a horn.  
  
Not long now.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Shoot that Prowler DOWN!" Elir yelled as he made out the approaching fighter.  
  
It carried four of the Peacekeeper bombs that had been tearing his flagship apart. One of those would destroy his Command Deck. Four would obliterate any trace that it had ever existed.  
  
"We can't!" His tactical officer yelled back. "She is too small a target. She killed non-essential systems. Our targeting computers aren't even reading her."  
  
"Then target manually!" Elir yelled.  
  
"She is dodging all attempts to manually target. Our gunners aren't fast enough and she is too close to the hull. We risk collateral damage if we aren't careful."  
  
"I don't care about collateral damage. I want that ship brought down!"  
  
Twenty metres.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
She could see the Command Deck now. If she had the time she could probably magnify the image and see the panic stricken faces of the Scarrens inside.  
  
She rolled her ship into launch position and pressed the safety key on her left. The trigger was on her right.  
  
The point defense turrets had obviously been turned over to manual control because the shots that missed her prowler were slamming into the hull of the light cruiser, tearing into the ship.  
  
Ten metres.  
  
She realized quickly that four bombs would be overkill and grinned softly. She quickly typed in a time-detonation sequence for the two bombs and then pressed the release keys for two of the bombs, the outer two.  
  
The high explosive ordinance fell and slammed into the hull of the light cruiser. But they did not explode. If they had, Iris would have undoubtedly been annihilated.  
  
One of the bombs found itself buried in the side of a main plasma gun, the crew scrambled to escape before the ordinance blew them to pieces.  
  
The other hit just right and fell down a transport shaft, deep into the bowels of the ship.  
  
Anyone who reviewed the data-chips would say that it was blind luck that the bomb lodged itself in the wall of a reactor chamber.  
  
Zero metres.  
  
Iris howled in triumph as she slammed the two remaining release keys and pulled her fighter into a steep climb.  
  
She slammed her thrusters to full and tore away from the falling bombs, the point defense cannons firing in her wake.  
  
Iris growled as her prowler spun. One of those point defense cannons had tagged her belly, right where the bombs had just been attached.  
  
The prowler was still flight capable, but the weapons were off-line now. She growled as she turned her fighter back toward the fleet and dodged in and out of enemy fire, not watching her bombs fall. * * * * * *  
  
The two remaining bombs Iris had dropped were also set on a timer.  
  
Elir was thrown to the back of the command deck as the two bombs pierced the armor and sat there, monuments of Peacekeeper bravery.  
  
He had time for one last thought of his life before the four bombs detonated as one.  
  
The two bombs lodged in the command deck tore the spindle apart like so much nothingness. Only a tiny stub was left to even mark the spot where the command deck had once stood.  
  
The bomb that was lodged into a main gun exploded right into the primary ammo magazine. A brilliant explosion was seen throughout the battle as over eight hundred plasma rounds exploded in their storage racks.  
  
But the most damage came from the fourth bomb. The bomb that had somehow found its way down a transport shaft to lodge itself in the side of a reactor chamber.  
  
That bomb exploded with simplicity. The reactor followed.  
  
The brilliant explosion of a fusion reactor chamber was seen as far away as the Vanguard of Victory. The ship cracked in half as its back was broken by the detonation.  
  
The primary reactor tore most of the ship apart. What was left was not even enough scrap to think about looking at twice, much less salvaging. * * * * * *  
  
Uri smiled as his plan unfolded before him.  
  
The fighter-bombers were tearing a gaping hole in the escort ranks of the Scarren fleet. Already over a dozen of those ships had exploded and many of the rest were crippled. They would be little challenge to the undamaged escorts of the Coalition.  
  
He watched his holo-grid as those escort ships reached attack range of the Scarrens and grinned. 


	13. Crashing Waves Part Two

Commonscape By: Griffin Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me.  
  
Note: Most of the Andromeda crew is current as far as about 2 months ago. Farscape crew is quite a bit older.  
  
Summary: The battle for Jeris rages on in...Alliance makes some startling discoveries on Yevin Three.  
  
Crashing Waves. (Part 2)  
  
Captain Tem'Viras of the Scorvian destroyer Judgment of the Damned, watched carefully as his ship closed with the Scarren formation.  
  
Fleet Command had informed the leading Coalition escort ships that the Scarren's forward ships had been crippled, and some even destroyed, by the fighter squadrons they had deployed.  
  
He had doubted seriously that the ships could be too badly damaged until his Tactical officer had relayed the image of a light cruiser buckling under the explosion of its primary reactor, thanks to a well placed bomb.  
  
Other Scarren ships were leaking atmosphere and trailing debris.  
  
For the most part the bombers had targeted primary plasma cannons and the command decks of their targets, leaving many of the Scarren escorts blind or partially unarmed.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Sub-Officer Iris Penal growled as she climbed out of her damaged Prowler deep in the bowels of the Vanguard of Victory as the flagship cruised into battle.  
  
The ship would be salvageable, if the Command Cruiser survived the battle, but for now she was grounded.  
  
"Sub-Officer Iris Penal, Tera Squadron; requesting a new fighter ship," she told the boat-bay Officer-In-Charge.  
  
"Sorry, Sub-Officer, but all of our ships are deployed. Perhaps you could be reassigned to shipboard duty?"  
  
Iris growled slightly as she shook her head. She hated shipboard duty. It was always so boring.  
  
"All right," she said reluctantly. "Where do they need me?"  
  
"Forward pulse cannons need a good gunner," the Officer said as he tapped out an order on his console. "Ango-Eleven, deck Twelve."  
  
Iris nodded and saluted as she hurried for the lifts forward.  
  
At least she had gunnery duty, a chance to tear apart enemy fighters with the quad-barrel pulse turrets.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Admiral Rishu growled as he watched several of his escort ships explode. The Coalition's bombing runs had crippled several of his light warships but had left many of them untouched.  
  
He smiled slightly as the two formations of light warships closed to weapons range and the Scarren Plasma Cannons opened fire.  
  
Bolts of light streaked out from the main guns of the Scarren frigates, destroyers and cruisers, heading for the Coalition ships.  
  
Rishu grinned in satisfaction as many of those plasma bolts slammed into the armored hides of the enemy ships.  
  
Explosion marked ship after ship as debris and atmosphere trailed from the damaged ship.  
  
Another wave of plasma rounds erupted and their nearly light-speed velocity carried them over the distance quickly, another wave of explosions marking the formations.  
  
Several of the Coalition frigates exploded majestically, their power plants pierced by plasma shells. Several more went silent as their power plants went into emergency shutdown.  
  
But the Coalition was silent no longer. Their frag cannons belched explosive rounds as their energy mounts spitting lasers into the Scarren ships.  
  
Light-speed energy cut deep gashes into the Scarren armor, some piercing plasma magazines and causing explosions that rocked the targeted ship.  
  
Explosive frag rounds swept in on the heels of the lasers. Some found their way into the gashes left by the lasers. The rounds burrowed into armor and then exploded, tearing gaping holes in the frigates and destroyers.  
  
"Order all escorts to go to full fire. Tear those ships to pieces."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Admiral Uri Polits watched as the Scarren guns went to full fire. Round after round erupted from their main cannons as they turned their broadsides to face the Coalition light warships.  
  
Any ships that had defense screens activated quickly lost those under the stress of the bombardment.  
  
Ships not equipped with the defense screens bucked as plasma rounds slammed into their armor and exploded.  
  
Frigates and destroyers exploded as they were overwhelmed by the fire. Cruisers heaved as their larger frames were assaulted. Several lost one of their two power plants as they went into emergency shutdown. Several lost all power and drifted lifelessly.  
  
"I want all cannons firing at full cycle!" Uri shouted. "Get the battle cruisers in there!"  
  
The escort ships began firing their frag cannons at full cycle. It took ten microts to reload a frag cannon aboard one of the smaller ships. The energy mounts needed only four microts to reset their circuits and erupt once more.  
  
The exchange became intense as the two formations closed. Scarren ship buckled as frag shells slammed through their armor and exploded. Coalition ships shivered with damage as Plasma rounds crashed through them and left them lifeless.  
  
As the two formations closed their point defense cannons began tracking each other and energy rounds flashed between the ships.  
  
The ships began passing by each other, some as close as a few metres, and as they did they released full broadsides into their enemies.  
  
Coalition and Scarren ships alike buckled and cracked under the fire from their enemies. Several times Scarren plasma rounds didn't even have time to activate and just lodged into their targets, waiting for something to bump them into detonation. Other times, Coalition energy mounts punched holes through their target and into ships on the other side, cutting into the armor of that ship as well.  
  
But the Scarrens were larger, and tougher. They had the advantage and were taking it ruthlessly. * * * * * *  
  
Admiral Rishu grinned as his light warships left the Coalition forces damaged and bleeding and began their attack on the Coalition capitol ships.  
  
The Hynerian battle cruisers were the main targets, but Rishu knew that the Coalition would be ready for that.  
  
And sure enough, as the Scarren ships began making their runs on the Hynerian capitol ships, the feared Attika mounts opened fire.  
  
Weapons that would gut a dreadnaught were focused on frigates and destroyers and light cruisers. The energy beams engulfed their targets and vaporized whole ships without a second thought.  
  
And the Hynerians weren't alone. The other Coalition capitol ships were firing too, their enormous frag cannons dealing solid death to Scarren ships, huge energy batteries cutting escort ships into so much debris.  
  
Rishu swore as he watched his light warships fall under the withering fire of the Coalition capitol ships, but at the same time he knew that not all of his ships were being destroyed.  
  
A Scarren light cruiser managed to avoid the fire of a Hynerian battle cruiser, and as the ship ran close along the target's hull, released a devastating hail of plasma shells at close range.  
  
Those shells buried themselves in the hull of the Hynerian behemoth and then exploded, ripping ugly wounds into the side of the ship and causing two of the three powerplants to shut down.  
  
Another Scarren light cruiser, one of the more heavily damaged ships, took heavy fire from one of the Peacekeeper battle cruisers as it charged toward a Hynerian capitol ship.  
  
The Scarren took the hits and kept charging, and as the hull of the light cruiser slammed viscously into the Hynerian battle cruiser, her main power plant exploded.  
  
The two ships were engulfed in an expanding ball of fury as the fusion plant detonated. When the brilliant flash receded, nothing was left of either ship except for glowing debris from the outer edges of the battle cruiser.  
  
The sheer number of surviving Scarren ships was nothing against the huge cannons of the Coalition capitol ships, the frigates and destroyers were treated as tiny flies annoying a beast. The cruisers were treated as little more.  
  
But the escorts had done their jobs. They had tied up the Coalition long enough for the Scarren capitol ships to reach attack range. Some of the light ships had even crippled or destroyed their targets.  
  
The Scarren battle cruisers, dreadnaughts and super dreadnaughts turned their undamaged broadsides against the Coalition and unleashed hell on their targets. * * * * * *  
  
Iris Penal growled as she pulled the trigger on the quad-barrel turret. The guns unleashed a hail of pulse rounds into the fighter craft in her sights and left the Scarren Striker a dead hulk of debris.  
  
The Vanguard of Victory had taken several hits from the Scarren light warships, but was not yet severely damaged. Some of the Scarren fighters had attempted to slam themselves into the huge frag cannons but had been cut down far short of their goals.  
  
Iris turned her turret toward another fighter, but as she spun around she saw the huge Scarren capitol ships turning to clear their broadsides.  
  
She realized in that moment that the battle was lost for the Coalition and slammed a key to her right. The turret retracted into the hull of the Command Cruiser and Iris threw herself from the chair toward an escape pod.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
The hail of plasma rounds from the Scarren fleet tore the Coalition ships to pieces.  
  
Capitol ships bucked as their armor was assaulted and several exploded brilliantly.  
  
Any ship that still had engine power turned to retreat from the system, but the Scarrens were close behind.  
  
The Vanguard of Victory lost all power as the five power plants went into emergency shutdown. Life pods trailed from many of ships as their crews abandoned the dead hulks of their homes to Scarren capture. 


	14. Falling Rain Part Two

Commonscape By: Griffin Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me.  
  
Note: Most of the Andromeda crew is current as far as about 2 months ago. Farscape crew is quite a bit older.  
  
Summary: The Alliance captures the Science Facilities of Yevin Three and makes some startling discoveries.  
  
Falling Rain. (Part 2)  
  
Sabra-Jaguar Marine Forces, 11th Regiment, Delta Battalion, Baker Company was ordered to hold the ridge around Facility Four in the cold hard mountains of Yevin-Three.  
  
They had taken the ridge less than one solar day earlier and had built themselves bunkers to protect themselves from the bombardment of the Peacekeeper artillery.  
  
But that artillery was too focused with holding the Alliance artillery at bay to focus on the Marines and their Luxon shock trooper counterparts.  
  
So the two forces had spent the last several arns shelling the inner bunker ring with mortar fire.  
  
Their artillery support was being held out of effective firing range by the Peacekeeper gun batteries.  
  
Orders had come down from Regimental Command that they were to storm the facility and remove any resistance. The artillery would be used as a distraction.  
  
Baker Company was spread across the ridge, waiting for the orders to come down from Major Geris with First Platoon.  
  
Third Platoon was firmly entrenched in the remains of Peacekeeper Bunker Line Seven. Their mortar teams were dropping explosive shells on the bunker like below, but to little effect. The inner bunkers were much more resilient than the first line had been.  
  
Sergeant Ivan Derik looked down the sight of his gauss rifle at the bunkers below.  
  
Occasionally someone would dash between those bunkers and hunker down. They seemed to be carrying a long-barreled weapon. He assumed that whoever was down there was a sniper looking to take out the mortar teams.  
  
Ivan had countered that threat by moving his mortar teams back out of sight. And he had set up three snipers of his own.  
  
They were hidden behind sand bag barriers, invisible to anyone below. He had ordered them to take out anything they saw.  
  
He frowned as a crack echoed up from below, the muzzle flash visible in the dark of night.  
  
One of his snipers responded with a shot of their own and Ivan watched as one of the bunkers erupted in pulse fire in the general area of his sniper.  
  
"This is Second Platoon, thanks Third. That sniper was driving us crazy," a voice announced over the com and Ivan grinned.  
  
"No problem. Any word from First Platoon?"  
  
"Boss says we'll be rolling soon. The artillery is loading smoke shells now."  
  
"Copy, Third Platoon out."  
  
Ivan looked down into the valley and frowned. Soon.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Lieutenant Reci Gosi frowned as she watched her best sniper fall.  
  
Those damned Alliance forces had been watching her sniper run between buildings and had waited for a muzzle flash to tag him.  
  
She shook her head as looked out the port hole into the dark of the Yevin night. On the ridge above she could just barely make out the shape of thrown together bunkers built by the Alliance.  
  
She turned from the port hole to inspect her own bunker.  
  
Built to withstand anything but the heaviest of bombardments, the Class-One bunker was reinforced with the best Peacekeeper materials available.  
  
But when it came down to it, this bunker was going to be nothing but a well- built coffin.  
  
She knew that there had been two full Peacekeeper marine regiments defending Facility Four. Seven thousand well-trained and armed Marines to protect something that command didn't even want them to know they were protecting.  
  
The twenty bunker lines protecting the valley ridge had each carried a platoon of marines. One thousand of those seven thousand marines had been on that ridge. And all but two were dead.  
  
Another three thousand were entrenched in Bunker Lines Fifteen through Thirty-Five. Fifteen marines were positioned in each of the ten bunkers in each of those Lines.  
  
Another two thousand marines were positioned in the trenches that surrounded the facility itself. They were the last line of defense. They were extremely vulnerable to mortar and artillery fire, but it had been thought impossible to get artillery within range of those trenches.  
  
The remaining thousand marines were support personnel or were crammed into the facility as security guards.  
  
Intel had reported that there were only two companies of marines and shock troopers currently holding the ridge around them. But they were protected by artillery and had the advantage of being up-hill. They would cut any counter-attack to pieces.  
  
And there were six more companies moving up the other side of the ridge for the attack on the bunkers.  
  
Satellite surveillance had been knocked out, leaving the Facilities blind. But it was entirely possible, and indeed likely, that those marines would be carrying 'Bunker-Buster' missile packs. Man portable missile launchers that fired weapons more powerful than artillery.  
  
Reci frowned as the first rays of dawn crawled over the ridge.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Dawn was all they were waiting for. The eastern line of bunkers was blind against the light of Yevin's blue-white sun. So they didn't see the Nietzschean marines or Luxon shock troops casually moving down the ridge.  
  
The other companies of ground troops remained in position. Until the first rounds of artillery fire erupted and smoke shells rained down on the western side of the facility.  
  
Four companies of the Alliance troops charged the eastern lines of bunkers and the reaction was expected.  
  
All of the defensive fire was focused westward, to the charging marines and shock troopers.  
  
Mortar fire rained down on the bunkers and then brilliant flashes marked the hill side as bunker busters erupted from their launchers.  
  
Huge rockets hissed down the hillside, their targeting sensors seeking portholes to bury themselves in.  
  
Nietzschean bunker busters were renowned for their ability to crack anything. Their seeker heads could find any opening and tear a bunker open like a can of emergency-rations.  
  
They didn't fail in their mission very often.  
  
The reinforcements had brought two hundred, one for every five Nietzscheans. One for every bunker left protecting the Facility.  
  
Forty-one percent of the bunker busters totally destroyed their targets. Eighty-two of the two hundred bunkers and over twelve hundred marines were taken in that first launch.  
  
Other missiles tore holes in bunkers or permanently blinded the occupants, creating gaps in the protection.  
  
The holes in the defenses were enough.  
  
As the Peacekeepers focused their defenses west, the eastern attackers found very little the way of defense.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Lieutenant Reci Gosi pushed her pulse-cannon through the porthole and started firing.  
  
Her marines followed suit and every remaining bunker began spraying pulse rounds into the two thousand charging enemies.  
  
Facility Four was the most heavily defended Facility on the planet. It had the toughest bunkers and the best marines.  
  
The enemy obviously had prepared for that. The enemy marines were wearing armor that protected them well. The shock troopers were running low to the ground, hard to hit from the bunkers.  
  
Gauss and pulse fire pinged off of the bunkers as the enemies opened fire.  
  
Reports began flowing over the coms of deaths as the attackers sent rounds through the portholes in the bunkers. And the marines were firing some sort of smart round that sought out a target once inside the bunker.  
  
Reci growled as she downed a charging shock trooper but quickly frowned as he was replaced by three more.  
  
She swore harshly as she switched to full-auto and began firing indiscriminately.  
  
She pressed the secondary firing stud on her handle and a spread of five grenades belched from the grenade launcher mounted to the underside of her rifle.  
  
The enemy began slowing, their attack waning as more and more of them were killed.  
  
Reci thought at first that they had stopped the assault. Then she realized that they weren't stopping, they were digging in.  
  
She asked herself why, but the answer became quickly apparent as huge armor units rolled over the ridge.  
  
Somehow they had landed tanks, artillery on wheels.  
  
Those tanks perched themselves on the hilltops and lowered their barrels. The crash of artillery fire echoed through the valley as hyper-velocity explosive rounds coughed from the barrels.  
  
Explosions rocked the bunkers as the artillery slammed into the sides. Bunkers that had been damaged by the bunker-busters collapsed and it became obvious that the bunkers were a death trap.  
  
"All units, retreat to the trenches!" Reci ordered over her com as the hatch to the bunker hissed open.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ivan grinned as the Peacekeepers began abandoning their bunkers.  
  
"Charge!" He yelled and the marines and shock troopers scrambled from their foxholes.  
  
Ivan raised his rifle as he charged down along the flat valley floor. He squeezed the trigger and a hail of gauss rounds flew forth.  
  
Peacekeeper marines fell as their backs were riddled by gunfire. Some turned and dropped to their knees, leveling their pulse rifles for return fire.  
  
Anyone who did that was dropped before they could squeeze off a round.  
  
Ivan dove behind one of the now empty bunkers as his troops found cover. The marines had made it to the trenches. The quad-barreled rifles mounted along the trench edges hissed as they fired one-hundred rounds per microt.  
  
Marines and shock troopers fell under the hail of rounds, but not many.  
  
"Mortars!" Ivan ordered and the marines quickly set up to shell the trenches. "Command can't hit those trenches with shells, too close to the compound. Use standard shells and some stunners!"  
  
All around the Facility mortars belched shells. The rounds arced over the short distance and landed squarely in the trenches.  
  
Explosions rippled along the trenches as round after round hit home.  
  
Ivan looked around the corner of the bunker and frowned as he spotted the Peacekeepers preparing for a charge. This was going to be interesting.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Reci Gosi fixed the bayonet to her rifle as she prepared to scramble out of the trench. The sheer number of marines was supposed to overwhelm the Alliance forces. Theoretically, at least.  
  
"All units, CHARGE!" A voice announced and the Peacekeeper Marines charged from the relative safety of the trenches.  
  
The Alliance forces rose from their hiding spots and stood firm as their guns opened fire.  
  
Luxons drew their Qualta blades as the Peacekeepers charged, ready for the hand-to-hand combat.  
  
Nietzscheans continued to pour gauss fire into the charging masses, their guns spraying dumb rounds into the crowd. There were enough targets that smart rounds were unnecessary.  
  
Peacekeepers fell in waves as the Alliance troops sprayed armor-piercing rounds into their ranks.  
  
But then the marines reached their enemies and the hand-to-hand combat began.  
  
Luxons cut down enemy after enemy with their massive blades. Nietzschean drew knifes and charged toward the Sebatians.  
  
It was a massacre on all sides.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Sergeant Ivan Derik wrapped his arm in gauss as he sat in the bunker designated as the command location for Baker Company. As the highest ranking officer of Third Platoon, he was one of the people that Major Geris needed to talk to.  
  
Lieutenant Terinson of First Platoon, Lieutenant Rocio of Second Platoon, Lieutenant Ulrich of Fourth Platoon and Lieutenant Grace of Fifth Platoon were gathered in the good-sized bunker to hear what their commanding officer had to say.  
  
All told Baker Company had lost seventy-eight of its marines. Almost a third of its original compliment.  
  
"Okay, people," Major Taman Geris, Commanding Officer, Baker Company, said as the hatch to the bunker as closed.  
  
The portholes in the bunker's sides were all closed. They were going to insert into the facility.  
  
"We're going in," Geris said, confirming what Ivan already knew. "But we can't go in heavy. The place is too damn small for a heavy scale insertion. Their security is probably extremely intense. If we sent too many troops in their auto-cannons will tear us down."  
  
"What are we going to do then?" Lieutenant Polis Grace asked curiously.  
  
"We are going to run a small team insertion, each cardinal direction. Each company has been ordered to assemble a team. Ten Marines, ten Luxons. The Luxons were more than happy to volunteer to run the whole thing. Regimental says we need a presence in there. So here we are."  
  
Taman looked at each face in the bunker.  
  
"I know all of your combat backgrounds. With the exception of Lieutenant Rocio, each of you has gone through urban combat one time or another. Some- " he looked at Terinson and Derik "-more than others. But I need volunteers. Particularly, I need one of you to lead the insertion team on our end of things."  
  
The Platoon commanders looked at each other, each hesitant to volunteer. Ivan stood.  
  
"Sir, I probably have the second or third most experience in urban warfare, particularly in close quarters insertion."  
  
"True, your service in the capture of that Drago base was noted throughout the Corps and specifically flagged when you were assigned to this operation. Sergeant, you are hereby promoted to the rank of Sergeant Major and placed in command of Insertion Team Baker."  
  
Ivan nodded as saluted.  
  
"All you need now is nine more just like you."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Sergeant Major Ivan Derik and Squad Commander Ra'Eran stood at the head of Insertion Team Baker. Nine Nietzscheans and nine Luxons stood behind them in full insertion gear. They were wearing heavy body armor, carrying short barreled weapons and had six flash-bangs grenades each.  
  
The only thing standing between them and their mission was the hatch on the Facility.  
  
Nietzschean demolition teams were rigging that hatch as they waited.  
  
The lead demo-tech raised his hand to indicate the lock was ready to blow as the squad scrambled away. IT-Baker hugged close to the walls on either side of the hatch as the shaped charge was triggered.  
  
The charges exploded brilliantly, throwing the hatch inward and leaving the entrance ready.  
  
Private Relond lead the way, infra-red goggles activated as she turned the corner. Ivan heard her flechette gun cough as she took out Peacekeeper marines.  
  
"Clear," she shouted out the hatch and the other troops filed in.  
  
Command had split the team of twenty into five squads of four. Two Nietzscheans and two Luxons were assigned to each team. They were given five paths, the maps taken from one of the already conquered facilities. Ivan and Ra'Eran were assigned to completely separate paths to ensure that if one of the paths was ambushed the team would still have an officer in command.  
  
Ivan and his team moved through the passages of the facility, taking out marine after marine as they advanced. Their target was specific, the computer core at the heart of the facility.  
  
All four teams moved quickly, securing passage after passage and room after room.  
  
Ivan turned a corner and ducked as a hail of pulse rounds slammed into the wall.  
  
He pulled the pin on a flash grenade and heaved it around the corner. The familiar thud was his signal and as Ivan turned the corner he found five Peacekeepers struggling to stand.  
  
He squeezed his trigger and cut the marines down without a second thought. * * * * * *  
  
Lieutenant Reci Gosi set the detonator on the tiny charge and hurried back around the corner.  
  
The attacking Alliance forces had already advanced through half of the facility on all sides and were moving fast.  
  
She was in command of the last stand. Forty-seven marines and eighteen scientists at the computer core, was all that was left of the once proud Reizer Regiment.  
  
She made sure that her pulse cannon was fully loaded and chambered a round. The sensor systems that were left indicated that the Alliance forces were less than eleven minutes away. Almost game time.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ivan frowned as the resistance to their advance disappeared. And fast too.  
  
They were gathering somewhere near the heart of the complex. That much was obvious.  
  
"This is IT-Baker-One, resistance has flat-lined. Estimate remaining forces intend to put up a fight in the heart."  
  
"IT-Baker-One; we concur. Similar reports from other IT units. Be careful, IT-Alpha lost a team to a remote bomb. It looks like they are sticking charges on the floor and triggering by remote."  
  
"Acknowledged, Command, IT-Baker-One out," Ivan said as he closed the com- link with the Insertion Command. "Let's go, Relond out front. Keep an eye open for mines."  
  
Private Relond nodded and stepped around the corner, her eyes scanning the area through infra-red goggles.  
  
A Luxon followed, and then Ivan with the other Luxon taking up the rear. The four advanced very carefully through the facility, they didn't want to be the ones to set off a mine and end up on the KIA list at the end of the day.  
  
Ivan listened as other teams announced the capture of vital areas of the base. Command and Control, Communications, the Hanger Bay, Weapons Control and most importantly Security had all been taken by Alliance forces.  
  
"This is IT-Charlie-Six to all units. We have control of Security and are beginning sweeps for explosive charges. If possible we will neutralize them; otherwise we will upload locations to your suits."  
  
Ivan signaled Relond to hold while the information was processed through their Heads-Up-Displays. He nodded to her when the information was finished and smiled as he spotted a serious of explosives ahead.  
  
"Thanks," he whispered to no one in particular as Relond disable the explosives with an ECM charge. * * * * * *  
  
"This is Alliance Major Taman Geris to all Peacekeeper forces inside Facility Six. Your base has been captured. We have control of your C and C, your Security and your Hanger. There is no escape. Throw down your arms and come out quietly. You have half an hour before we come in there. And we will not take any prisoners."  
  
Reci frowned to herself as she considered the options. Surrender and spend the rest of the war in a Alliance prison camp, or go out fighting.  
  
The options weren't too appetizing.  
  
But if she did manage to reach Peacekeeper Command after this war, she would be either dismissed or demoted. The Science Facilities were listed as a Class-Red Priority. They had to be held, it was that simple.  
  
And from what she had gathered, Reci knew that four had fallen and the other was in the process of being invaded at the time of communications blackout.  
  
Which meant that she wasn't going to be the only one that her superiors would be looking to decapitate, if she survived of course.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Thirty minutes, exactly, after the ultimatum had been given, Ivan and Private Relond were moving forward, their Luxon comrades close behind.  
  
Ivan pulled the pins from the two grenades he held. In the Academy he had been given commendations for his ability to throw a grenade from either hand. Or from both.  
  
The two flash grenades joined the one thrown by Relond in blinding the remaining marines in the Computer Core.  
  
Ivan turned the corner and his flechette rifle coughed sharpened slivers of death. The three other members of IT-Baker-One followed, firing as they moved.  
  
Two scientists and one marine survived, though heavily wounded as they were. And as she regained consciousness, Lieutenant Reci Gosi realized she had failed.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Dylan frowned as he was awakened from a blissful sleep.  
  
"Yes?" He asked as he activated the voice-only transmission.  
  
"Sir, a courier has just made translation from Yevin. They are filing battle reports and carrying a top-secret report from General Si'Peral."  
  
"I'll be on the Command Deck in five minutes," Dylan said as he scrambled to get dressed.  
  
The result of the operation was obviously a success, if Si'Peral was sending top secret reports via Courier instead of limping back in pieces.  
  
Dylan had only met Si'Peral once before the General had shipped out, and he didn't seem to be the type to waste a perfectly good courier for nothing.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Dylan, John, Crais, Li'Taran and Leo Tiral were the only ones who saw the message from Si'Peral. They were the only ones to see what had been found in the Science Facilities of Yevin Three.  
  
"What are they?" Leo Tiral asked as he looked at the holo-grid image of the tiny pod.  
  
"Those are transport pods," Crais said as he looked at the strangely familiar craft. "Though they are not of the design I am familiar with."  
  
"What are they for?" Tiral asked in response.  
  
"They aren't transport pods," John answered as he frowned. "They are space pods. And they are built for one reason. To take full advantage of wormholes." 


	15. New Players

Commonscape By: Griffin Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me.  
  
Note: Most of the Andromeda crew is current as far as about 2 months ago. Farscape crew is quite a bit older.  
  
Summary: The Alliances seeks to forge an alliance with a powerful neighbor.  
  
New Players.  
  
John frowned as he stared out of the Obs deck at the depth of the space beyond.  
  
The Andromeda had finally been released from the clutches of the yard dogs and was currently on maneuvers to get back into shape.  
  
The routine procedure allowed him time to review the data brought from the raid on Yevin Three.  
  
From what the reports indicated, the pods found in the Yevin hanger bays were exact duplicates of his. Several had even shown signs of use.  
  
The only reason he could think the Peacekeepers would have pods, would be to probe the wormhole technology and figure out how to get a command cruiser through.  
  
If that happened, all was lost.  
  
"That wasn't their only base," a female voice announced from behind John. It was Rommie.  
  
"I know. And that is what worries me. What if they are more advanced than we think? What if they are on the brink of cracking the wormholes and dropping a fleet on us?"  
  
"Then we will have to counter them. We will have to strike them at their core. We have more ships than we have here, but they are currently protecting our other assets," Rommie announced clinically.  
  
"Well, the Peacekeeper fleet is quite enormous. We will need more help," John said as he watched a fighter dart past the obs deck.  
  
"You have an idea?" Rommie asked as she quirked an eyebrow.  
  
"The Royal Independent Sebatian Colonies," John said as he picked up a flexi and activated it, showing a cluster of stars on the edge of Peacekeeper space two solar weeks away from the current border of Alliance space.  
  
"Do you want me to contact Dylan?" Rommie asked as she marked the cluster of stars in her database.  
  
"Please. I think we need to assemble an envoy and try and get the Royal Colonies into this."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"You are proposing we send an emissary to the Royal Colonies?" Crais asked incredulously.  
  
"Yes," John said simply. "Their fleet is impressive, even when compared to the behemoth that is the Peacekeeper Navy. If they would join us, we would have enough firepower to strike at the heart of the Coalition and end this portion of the war."  
  
"But they are not known for being particularly friendly, what makes you think that we will convince them into an alliance?"  
  
"They are not on friendly terms with the Peacekeepers. Perhaps they would like to extend their power some and gain some Sebatian territory in the process. Or perhaps they would like to take over all of Sebatian holdings," John suggested and Crais nodded.  
  
"Just don't get your hopes up," he said as he leaned back.  
  
"Now that we have settled that," Dylan said as he leaned forward. "Who is going to be sent on this little diplomacy operation?"  
  
"Myself, of course," John said with a nod. "Captain Valentine, Mr. Anasazi and Crais will come along. I think that if we take Talyn and a squadron of Alliance destroyers we should be able to get there safely and still not make it look like we are being hostile."  
  
"All right," Dylan said with a nod. "Rommie, can you have Command order one of the destroyer squadrons to prep for escort duty."  
  
"Of course, Captain," Rommie's holo-gram said with a nod.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Dylan watched Talyn and Mobian Destroyer Squadron Golf-Three-Nine disappear in the twisting nether of the slipstream and sat back in his command chair.  
  
The possibility of bringing another major player into the Alliance was an appetizing one. The Sabra-Jaguar Ambassador to the Alliance had been complaining that the groups on this end of the Alliance weren't pulling their weight and were relying heavily on the Nietzschean fleet.  
  
Dylan had taken almost twenty minutes informing him that the Luxon and Ilanics were still retooling their fleets and that as soon as that task was completed, they would be launching more independent assaults on the Coalition. He also informed Ambassador Chelin that the Ilanics were locked in a decades-long war with the Scorvians and were focused on maintaining border security.  
  
The Ambassador had left rather mad and had returned to Alleghany where his offices, and the Commonwealth Embassy was located.  
  
Dylan frowned as he brought up a star chart that had been taken at Yevin Three. After pressing a series of keys, the chart was divided in red, orange, blue and yellow blocks.  
  
The current Alliance members were marked Blue, the Coalition members were red, the Scarrens orange and the multitude of independents were yellow.  
  
He highlighted several of those yellow blocks and reviewed the data on the species residing in those territories. The Plokavian Territories, Sheyang Debris Fields and Halosian Empire were all located near the Royal Sebatian Colonies, and all had not yet approached by Alliance emissaries.  
  
Dylan shook his head as he shut down the holo-gram and turned to the affairs of the fleet as plans were laid for more assaults on Coalition assets in the area.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Captain Emily Gretchen frowned as her destroyer emerged from slipstream in what was designated the capitol system of the Royal Sebatian Colonies.  
  
Commodore Ralph Simons paced behind her as sensor drones reached out to find the system's picket group.  
  
Talyn lead the way into the system, the destroyer squadron falling in behind as escorts should the Sebatians attack.  
  
After several tense seconds the holo-grid began lighting up with yellow triangles, marking unknown contacts. The fleet was positively swarming with Royal ships, and they seemed to be busy preparing for war.  
  
Whole squadrons of battle cruisers sat in orbit of the single inhabited planet, flotillas of frigates and destroyers were spread across the system as pickets while cruisers patrolled in squadron formation. Eight Command Cruisers sat in orbit of the Capitol Planet, their hulls bristling with armaments as their Prowler compliments circled protectively.  
  
"Commodore, Commander Crichton reports contact with one of the Sebatian patrol ships," Emily's communications officer reported.  
  
"What do they say?" the destroyer squadron's flag officer asked.  
  
"They have instructed him to make best speed to the planet. They request that we remain here with their picket squadrons. Crichton has informed them that we will comply."  
  
"Very well," Commodore Simons nodded. "Order all ships to form up and wait here.  
  
The ten ships of DDS-G39 brought themselves into a protective formation and halted their advance. Their com drones circled endlessly, listening for any messages from Crichton, while their sensor drones continued to probe in- system, recording the system and the fleet protecting it.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Crichton, Crais, Captain Valentine and Tyr Anasazi were escorted through the bowels of the palace to an underground command center.  
  
Marines, Royal Guards, Navy Officers and ratings marched this way and that, doing one task or another.  
  
The palace looked more like a Military Command Post than the house of the Queen of the Sebatian Colonies.  
  
Their escorts, a small squad of Royal Guards, were stone faced as they marched the group to meet with the Queen.  
  
John had suggested that the four go because they all looked Sebatian, and he knew that it would much easier to negotiate without the risk of someone getting offended by outsiders coming with them.  
  
John shook his head clear of those thoughts as the four walked through and enormous set of blast doors and into what was definitely a War Room.  
  
Navy officers and enlisted personnel huddled here and there reviewing data, some were seated in front of consoles that displayed the system's space activity.  
  
And in the middle, surrounded by Royal Guards, was Queen Tian Erasa, ruler of the Sebatian Colonies. Her long black hair was braided behind her, her green eyes looked them over as they entered. The Queen was thought to be one of the most beautiful women in the Royal Colonies, and John could see why.  
  
She had been engaged in a conversation with a man that appeared to be her Fleet Admiral, but was now just looking at Crichton and his companions.  
  
"Your Majesty, emissaries from the Restored Commonwealth and the Alliance of Planets," the leading guard announced as he bowed.  
  
Crichton and Tyr stepped forward, bowing slightly to the Queen.  
  
"Your Majesty, we bring greetings from Chancellor Ariana Lordis of Alleghany, and from the Chancellors of the Luxon and Ilanic Empires."  
  
"Greetings," the Queen said with a nod. "It is good to see that the Alliance respects those that are their equal. What brings you to my chambers?"  
  
"Your Majesty," Tyr began. "The Alliance finds itself locked in a war with the Peacekeepers and their Coalition of Allies. The Scarren Empire has struck at us as well. We come bringing an offer of Alliance to your Colonies. A treaty that would make us partners against the Coalition and against the Scarrens."  
  
The Queen nodded, she had been expecting such an offer.  
  
"Your offer has merit," the Queen admitted with a nod. "My scouts indicate that your fleet is strong, and you possess the ability to use Leviathan starburst on any vessel you chose. But what would my kingdom gain from a war with the Coalition? The deaths of my people, the destruction of my fleet and the ravages of war visited upon our planets."  
  
The Queen shook her head and picked up a data-pad.  
  
"You are not the first to extend such an offer to my people," she said as she had a guard hand the data-pad to John. "The Peacekeeper Coalition offered my kingdom a place on the ruling Council of the Coalition and a permanent end to their harassment of my shipping. Open trade lanes throughout the member planets of the Coalition and protection against your Alliance."  
  
"The Coalition." Crais began but a look from the Queen cut him off.  
  
"The Peacekeepers may have been my enemy in days past, but they have better things to do than harass me and my ships. I will tell you the same thing that I told the Peacekeeper emissary. The Royal Sebatian Colonies has formed alliances with several of the surrounding species. The Halosians, the Plokavians and the Interions have all joined us in a Confederation of Neutral Stars."  
  
John and Tyr looked at each other and nodded.  
  
"Very well," John said with a frown. "We will return to our commanders with your response."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Dylan frowned as he reviewed the report compiled by the team that had gone to the Royal Colonies.  
  
"The RSC has formed a Confederation with its neighbors?" Dylan asked as he set the flexi on the table before him.  
  
"That's what it looks like," John said with a nod. "And they seem to be really nervous about it. As you can see from the sensor scans, that system was packed with warships. We could only see Sebatian designs, but I would assume that the other members of the Confederation are still gathering their fleets."  
  
"It says here that they had eight Command Cruisers in orbit?" Dylan asked as he reviewed the force estimates.  
  
"Yes, they had eight," Crais said with a nod.  
  
"Not to mention at least five squadrons of battle cruisers," Tyr added. "And that palace was swarming with Navy and Marine officers and personnel. I think they are expecting a strike from the Coalition. Or maybe from us."  
  
"Well we won't be obliging them," Dylan said simply. "We have enough on our hands without stirring up another hornet's nest with this Confederation."  
  
"Agreed," Crais said with a nod.  
  
"Then we will just have to fight the Coalition with what we have. Generals Li'Taran and General Ki'Tisan have reported that their fleets are seventy- three percent done with their conversion to slipstream technology. They estimate another three weeks at the outside before they are fully converted." Dylan pressed a key on the flexi. "Admiral Si Kinas reports that the Independent Planets will be commissioning their first slip-capable ships within the week. All members of the Alliance are on track for our estimates. Once they are complete and begin deployment, we will begin striking deeper into Coalition space."  
  
The Alliance was preparing to take their war into full swing. Plans were being developed for a sweeping assault on the frontier outposts of the Coalition, and particularly the Peacekeepers.  
  
Operation Sharpened Dagger would send two task groups of Alliance warships straight into the Peacekeeper territory, while each of the other Coalition members were targeted by a Task Group each.  
  
Almost half of the active Alliance fleet was involved in the action, the other half positioned along the border with the Coalition to protect them against any counter-attacks.  
  
The action would be devastating to the frontier fleets of the Coalition. If it worked that was. 


	16. CounterStrike

Commonscape By: Griffin Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me.  
  
Note: Most of the Andromeda crew is current as far as about 2 months ago. Farscape crew is quite a bit older.  
  
Summary: The Coalition strikes back at the Scarrens for the Battle of Jeris.  
  
Counter-Strike  
  
High Fleet Admiral Jerin Orais, Chief of Naval Operations for the Peacekeeper fleet, frowned as he watched the clock count down to the launch of Operation End-Run.  
  
The plan was a combination of plans hatched by himself and Ivar Nirant during a brain-storming session.  
  
It was a rather simple plan when one looked at it, but that simplicity was the key to its success.  
  
He accessed the operational plans on his tactical grid and frowned as the operation played out on his screen.  
  
He had deployed 4th fleet to attack the Scarren Empire. But instead of hitting at the front door, where the patrols and pickets would be heaviest, Jerin had directed the fleet to the edge of Scarren space, over two weeks away from the nearest Peacekeeper base.  
  
Task Forces four-point-one, four-point-two, four-point-three, four-point- four and four-point-five were all targeted at a different, frontier system. The result would be that they would each have enough ships to overrun the estimated pickets, but still spread their attack wide enough to make a dent.  
  
If all went as planned, the ships could regroup and hold off any counter attacks while reinforcements from 7th fleet made the trip. A base on the edge of Scarren space would force the Empire to reshuffle their defensive plans to protect another side of their territory.  
  
That was, of course, assuming that everything went as it was supposed to.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Vice Admiral Chang Tasri leaned back in her command chair and frowned deeply.  
  
As Commanding Officer of Task Force Four-Point-Two, Chang was in charge of the attack on the frontier mining colony of Mipar-Eleven. The picket in the Mipar system was estimated at as a squadron of battle cruisers and the accompanying light warship escorts.  
  
Her task force, lead by her Command Cruiser flagship Rising Sun, consisted of two squadrons of battle cruisers, seven squadrons of heavy and light cruisers, two flotillas of destroyers and a squadron of Mark-Nine troop transports, each carrying a battalion of one-thousand Peacekeeper marines.  
  
The Mipar-Eleven colony was notorious for its guerilla militias and the large number of Charrid soldiers positioned on the planet to keep the natives in line.  
  
The colony consisted of ninety percent native Miparans, a race that seemed to be born to mine from the earth. Their stout black bodies could carry well over three times their weight, making them perfect haulers, and their extremely good night-sight allowed them to see in even the darkest mines.  
  
The planet was not devastatingly important to control, but the flow of Miparan minerals would be a boost to the Peacekeeper economy and shipyards.  
  
A chime sounded somewhere on the bridge and Chang looked up to see the face of Admiral Mercedes Varin, Commanding Officer of Fourth Fleet. The screen split to show Vice Admiral Ashan'Is of the Scorvian task force Four-Point- Three and the Nebari Admiral Terison Klias, leading TF Four-Point-Four. Lord Admiral Erisar Reilon of the Hynerian task force Four-Point-Five was the last face to appear.  
  
"Admirals, estimates put us thirty arns out from our targets. We will be entering patrol range in twenty-five arns. By that time you should be rigged for silent running and ready to launch your attacks." The admiral paused. "This Operation should be rather simple, and when we complete our objectives, we will likely be tapped to lead the attack further into Scarren space, so have your fleets ready at a moment's notice. Good luck."  
  
The screen went black and Chang nodded. Good Luck indeed.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
At the outbreak of war, the Scarren Fleet Command had deployed its border fleets across the face of the Empire.  
  
The 5th Frontier Fleet had been deployed to the space in which the Coalition was attacking.  
  
Admiral Perin split his six dreadnaughts, three squadrons of battle cruisers, eight squadrons of heavy and light cruisers and flotilla of destroyers across five systems. Each system had one destroyer and a half squadron of battle cruisers. His flagship, the Mighty Predator was on a constantly rotating patrol, moving from system to system.  
  
The Predator was in transit when the attack from the Coalition came.  
  
All four Coalition fleets hit within an hour of each other. The result was devastating.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Admiral Mercedes Varin smiled as her ships crossed from deep space into the system of Ilitar, a mid-sized commerce planet that was the hub of activity for the sector. The Ilitar system was the seat of the Sector Governor; extra funds had been diverted to the system to build better space fortresses.  
  
But there wouldn't be nearly enough ships to protect the system from her attack.  
  
"First readings are coming in," Commander Alestar Retel reported from Flag Tactical.  
  
"What've we got?" Mercedes asked as she steepled her fingers under her chin.  
  
"Looks like a single dreadnaught and five battle cruisers. Even lighter than we had estimated."  
  
"Good. Communications, order the fleet to precede with battle plan Ango- Three and activate defense screens." The com officer nodded and passed the orders.  
  
Ango-Three was a limited engagement that tried to prevent large amounts of damage to the fleet before it completed its mission. The ships would move within range of the Capitol frag cannons and remain at the edge of range to lessen the damage the Scarren plasma cannons could inflict.  
  
"All ships acknowledged," the com-officer nodded.  
  
"Good," Mercedes said, mostly to herself, as the fleet moved in-system.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Commodore Arnas frowned as her tactical officer reported the numbers of enemy ships.  
  
A command cruiser with two-and-a-half squadrons of battle cruisers, eight squadrons of cruisers, two flotillas of destroyers and a half squadron of troop transports.  
  
Arnas growled as she paced the command deck of the dreadnaught Fury. She knew that she had very little chance of surviving if she attacked, but she would be executed if she just retreated.  
  
Her only option was to attack and hope that she got lucky.  
  
"All ships, prepare to attack enemy fleet. All ships will make best speed to boarding range. I want some Peacekeeper heads on my desk by morning."  
  
Arnas frowned as her ships formed up for the suicide charge. At least this way they would do some damage before they died. Their plasma cannons would be spitting fire as soon as they hit range, and Arnas intended to have her guns firing as many rounds as she could manage without overheating the barrels.  
  
Her dreadnaught and battle cruisers would target the Coalition's flagship as they attacked; a Peacekeeper Command Cruiser was a huge investment of resources, time and personnel. She just hoped that the armored behemoth would succumb to the damage her ships hoped to lay upon it.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Admiral, the Scarren forces are turning," Alestar reported on the Virtuosity's bridge.  
  
"Course?" Mercedes asked with a frown.  
  
"They seem to be turning for a charge," Alestar reported as data flowed into his console.  
  
"Order all ships to prepare for such an event. As soon as they enter weapons range, I want every possible frag cannon brought to bear. Order the battle cruisers to focus fire on the Scarren capitol ships."  
  
"Aye, ma'am," Lieutenant Commander Frena Vargray said from her position at Flag Communications.  
  
"I'm going to go get into my vac-suit," Mercedes said as she stood and stepped into her briefing room.  
  
As she put on the vacuum suit, Mercedes tried to decide what she was going to do with the Scarrens if they tried to charge and ram her ships. Hopefully her ships would destroy the Scarrens before they reached that point, but it was always a possibility that one of the Scarrens would have enough power left to hit one of her capitol ships.  
  
Mercedes pulled back her long red hair into a ponytail; her helmet wouldn't fit right otherwise, and stepped back onto the Flag Bridge.  
  
"Status?" She asked as she retook her seat.  
  
"Quarter-arn until we enter weapons range. Scarren ships are charging their plasma cannons. It looks like they are going to try to do as much damage as they can before we take them out," Alestar reported with a slight frown.  
  
"Order all ships to double their energy flow to forward defense screens. I want to make sure we take as little damage as we can manage. If any ships begin to lose their screens, I want them to pull back behind someone who still does." Mercedes frowned. "And I want all frag cannons loaded with armor-piercing rounds."  
  
Heads nodded around the Flag Bridge as both sides prepared for battle to be joined.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
What seemed like an eternity later, but in reality was only about fifteen minutes, the first fire flashed from both sides.  
  
Scarren plasma cannons had a slightly greater range than Peacekeeper frag cannons, but Commodore Arnas knew that at extended range, the plasma would do very little to the defense screens of the Peacekeeper ships.  
  
So both sides opened fire at the same time.  
  
Because of the nature of their weapons, the Scarren ships scored the first hits. Plasma rounds traveled at just below light speed, frag cannons did not.  
  
Lightning flashed along the defense screens of the Peacekeeper fleet as plasma rounds exploded. Defense Screen generated groaned as they redirected energy to compensate for the damage.  
  
Another volley erupted from the Scarren ships, the plasma bolts flashing across empty space and slamming once more into Defense Screens. Circuits flashed aboard several destroyers as portions of their defense screens went off-line momentarily.  
  
And then the frag shells hit.  
  
Armor-piercing Peacekeeper frag shells were a powerful foe. Their tips burrowed into the armor of their targets, exploding only after the sensors on their tips met atmosphere.  
  
Explosions marked the Scarren picket as dozens of frag shells burrowed into armor and detonated. Scarren ships trailed atmosphere and debris, but the damage was lighter than expected. And none of the ships had lost any of their plasma turrets.  
  
Another volley of plasma flashed from the barrels of the Scarren guns and Mercedes growled as several of those rounds slammed through defense screens and into armor. A light cruiser bucked as a plasma round slammed into her side, destroying one of her frag cannons and tearing a gaping wound in her side.  
  
Scarren warships heaved as another volley of frag rounds slammed into their armor. Only this time, the rounds were standard, and every single round exploded on contact. Scarren cruisers and destroyers trailed debris and atmosphere as holes were torn into their sides.  
  
The Scarren dreadnaught Fury bucked and shuddered as over two dozen frag shells impacted on her hull. A pair of plasma cannons exploded brilliantly as frag shells slammed into their unarmored barrels.  
  
Commodore Arnas was thrown from her command chair as a frag shell found a hole left by a predecessor and buried itself in the hull of the dreadnaught. The shell exploded and tore an even greater hole in the side of the ship, forcing one of the four power plants to go into emergency shut down.  
  
Captains throughout both sides tried to maneuver their vessels to minimize the damage done by the other side's attacks. But when the forces were so large, there wasn't much room to move.  
  
It was only a matter of time before ships starting exploding under enemy fire.  
  
The first such ship was a Scarren heavy cruiser, the Dominant Hand, which had the misfortune of being targeted by four Peacekeeper battle cruisers at the same time. The result was a barrage of forty frag shells hitting the ship at the same time.  
  
Scarren heavy cruisers were tough ships, built to be the work horse of the fleet. They were constructed of the best materials and could withstand a fair amount of fire before the collapsed. But forty capitol sized frag shells were more than the Hand could deal with.  
  
The pair of fusion reactors the powered the cruiser went into emergency shut down. But before all of the reactor mass could be jettisoned, half a dozen frag shells exploded in close proximity.  
  
The result was a brilliant flash and an expanding cloud of fury.  
  
Other ships soon followed suit as armor was torn away and defense screens were overloaded.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"We just lost the Sanctus!" Alestar reported as the Virtuosity shuddered with another frag volley.  
  
"Frell!" Mercedes growled as she looked her holo-grid over.  
  
The Sanctus was one of her leading battle cruisers, one of the new class warships built for fighting Scarrens. The battle cruiser joined a dozen and a half other Peacekeeper vessels in destruction. And more would join them soon.  
  
The two fleets were almost within pulse cannon range, where the battle would be even. But the Scarrens were hurting, more so than she was. They had lost four of their battle cruisers, the two that remained were heavily damaged and their dreadnaught was trailing atmosphere and debris from over two dozen points on her hull. Their lighter warships were being torn apart by Peacekeeper frag shells and there were few that remained active.  
  
There were, however, enough ships to make Mercedes life hell if she didn't take them out before they reached pulse cannon range.  
  
"All ships, new fire plan. Focus all fire on battle cruiser alpha. When alpha pops, go for beta and then for the dreadnaught and then spread fire on the lighter warships," Mercedes ordered with a growl. "Maybe those captains will run without their heavy guns."  
  
The Peacekeeper frag cannons turned in unison to target the most damaged of the Scarren battle cruisers. In a single moment hundreds of frag shells leapt from the barrels of their cannons and into space. And moments later those frag shells reached their target.  
  
The ripple of hundreds of explosions shook the battle cruiser. Dozens of rounds slammed through the crumpled armored hide of the warship and exploded inside, tearing the vessel apart from the inside out.  
  
The three power plants exploded in unison, leaving nothing of the battle cruiser to be found.  
  
And in that moment, Commodore Arnas knew that there was no way her ships would reach pulse range. They would be decimated long before that.  
  
And in that split second, she made a decision that would perhaps change her forever.  
  
She gave up her warrior heritage. She knew it would not serve her in this fight. It would only get her killed.  
  
"Transmit surrender, and order all ships to stand down!" She ordered, and the communications officer acted with trained efficiency.  
  
And in that moment, the battle for Ilitar ended.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
The battle for Mipar-Eleven had gone even better than the fight for Ilitar. The Scarren commanding officer did not have the foresight to surrender. Neither did he have the intelligence to attempt a charge into pulse cannon range.  
  
He had kept his ships at maximum range, trying to avoid the damage that a close-range battle with frag cannons would do. The result was that his ships were torn apart by frag volley after frag volley, all the while his plasma rounds were absorbed by defense screens and not a single shot got through to hit the Peacekeeper armor.  
  
But the battle for space had been expected to be easy in the Mipar system. It was the battle for the planet itself that was to be the hard part.  
  
Twelve thousand Peacekeeper marines, four regiments of the best trained ground soldiers in that part of the galaxy targeted at the Charrid fortresses and the Miparan bases that supported them.  
  
The natives, in general, supported their masters. The planet had been run by the Scarrens for over five hundred cycles, and no one had challenged that rule in over four centuries.  
  
There were a few isolated pockets of Miparans that rose up and took control of their fortifications, but they had to focus on holding those positions. The Peacekeepers would have to do the fighting.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Sizer Regiment was the first group to hit the surface of Mipar Eleven. They had located one of the resistant Miparan bases and used that location for a landing point.  
  
The Miparan leader welcomed the Peacekeeper forces with open arms, and was very eager to get them moving on the nearby Charrid fortress.  
  
The Charrid had artillery batteries that would open fire on the Miparan base as soon as they realized that the base was not under their control.  
  
General Orias Ilmarae frowned as she looked out over the plains that separated the two bases. There were trenches cut into the terrain and more than a few foxholes.  
  
Orias looked out over the space between the two bases with her monoculars and frowned.  
  
"All right," she said turning to her battalion commanders. "Ango will take the lead up the center. Bekar will take the left flank and Canor with take the right. We're going to have some trouble with their fox holes up front, but I think that once we get our artillery in place we will be able to pound some holes."  
  
"Ma'am," Ango Battalion's Colonel frowned as her looked over the terrain.  
  
"Yes, Bikal?" Orias asked with a matching frown.  
  
"I'm seeing quite a few locations where we are gonna get bogged down. It looks like they have dug several of those trenches to create kill boxes. They lead straight into enemy foxholes," Colonel Bikal Urint reported.  
  
"I saw the same thing. That is why you are going to be taking blasting charges to dig your own trenches. It will keep them off guard. And besides, they are Charrids, not Scarrens. They are not nearly as hard to kill."  
  
Heads nodded and Orias frowned.  
  
"If there are no other questions, let's get to work. Artillery is expected to land in about an arn, once we have a perimeter established. Talis and Predan regiments are expected to land soon after that at two other resistance locations. Vice Admiral Tasri wants this planet under control inside of six arns from now."  
  
The colonels saluted and hurried off to direct their companies to battle. Each battalion had four companies of trained marines. And each of those companies would face the heat of enemy fire before the day was up.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Officer Tiam Polas smiled slightly as he looked down the field at his objective.  
  
Ango Company, Ango Battalion, was ordered to take a pair of foxholes right in the middle of the battle field, halfway to the Charrid fortress. The location would be the site of an artillery team once the heavy guns landed, used to fire on the fortress to help cover the advance of the marines.  
  
But he had to take the foxholes first.  
  
His four sub-officers, each leading a platoon of his troops, had already received their orders. Second and Fourth platoons would lead, Third and Fifth would flank and First would move in reserve, out of direct fire of the enemy.  
  
"All units in position," Sub-Officer Nirea reported from her position as Second Platoon's commanding officer. "We are ready to roll."  
  
"This is Ango Company to Battalion Command; we are in position and ready to roll. Do you copy?"  
  
"Copy that, Ango. Boss says to roll 'em up."  
  
"Roger that, we're rolling." Tiam switched to the company com-band. "All right, grunts, let's hit it!"  
  
Two-hundred-and-fifty Peacekeeper marines moved forward, carefully keeping out of sight of the Charrid gunners. Once the first rounds were fired, all hell would break loose on the battlefield. And Tiam fully intended to be the one controlling that hell.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Soldier Granis ti-Larnas looked down the field from his position in the foxhole. He pressed his eye to the scope on his long-range pulse rifle and nodded to his commander.  
  
There were Sebatians moving toward their location. But they were being smart about it, keeping out of sight as much as they could manage.  
  
"Sebatians," he hissed. "Many."  
  
"Kill them," Granis' commander ordered.  
  
Granis nodded and looked down the sight of his gun. The gun was a special model, meant to be used in such a situation. Granis could take out a target at twice the distance of the other Charrids.  
  
It was an honor to be given one of the sniper posts in any Charrid detachment. It was a sign that you were an excellent shot and could be trusted to make decisions on a moment's notice.  
  
Granis looked for stripes. A mark the Peacekeepers used to mark officers. Over the years he had come to recognize what the different marks meant. He searched for the four stripes that would be the leader of the troops. But all he could see were two three-stripes. They were the next level of officer. Sub-officers, the Peacekeepers called them.  
  
He looked down his scope again and took one of the sub-officers into his sight.  
  
His target was wearing heavy body armor, meant to protect against Charrid pulse rifles. But Granis' weapon had a much more powerful round than standard rifles; it had to because of the range at which it could be used.  
  
Granis brought the Sebatian into sight and followed the crest on the man's chest. It was the mark of his regiment, where he belonged in the Peacekeeper military. And it was a perfect target.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Sub-Officer Temas lead Third Platoon across the ugly terrain that separated the Charrid fortress from the Miparan base.  
  
It was a rocky, uneven terrain that did not lend itself to a charge en masse.  
  
Perhaps that was the point.  
  
"Let's go, Ladies," Temas growled over his com to his platoon. "We aren't going to bust Charrid skulls if we don't pick up the pace. Ferin, why don't you."  
  
Temas was interrupted by the crack of pulse rifle. The force of the round slammed him to the deck, mud splashing as he hit.  
  
The platoon medic scrambled down the trench and hit the mud beside the Sub- Officer.  
  
"He's okay!" The Medic reported. "Armor took the hit."  
  
Temas frowned as he felt the chest plate of his armor and put his finger into the still warm hole that the pulse round had created.  
  
"This is Temas, we have sniper fire!" He snapped as he stood up in the trench. "Estimate it to be from the fox holes."  
  
"Copy that, Second Platoon," Officer Polas reported. "Get as close as you can through the trenches and then start digging your way into mortar range. Maybe you can take them out before you have to use your rifles."  
  
"Acknowledged," Temas said as he cut the com.  
  
"Use the trenches to get as close as we can and then dig our way to mortar range," Temas told his troops. "Let's get moving."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Mortar shells rained down on the pair of foxholes that had been dug to protect the outer perimeter of the Charrid fortress.  
  
The Charrid troops inside fled as high explosive rounds slammed down on them from Peacekeeper Marines.  
  
Peacekeeper artillery rolled into the trenches, using the paths widened by the marines to reach their firing positions.  
  
Four thirty millimeter cannons were anchored into the hard soil and heavy explosive rounds were loaded into their barrels.  
  
The crack of artillery fire echoed across the field and moments later the distinctive thud of rounds hitting home could be heard.  
  
Explosions rippled along the Charrid artillery batteries as Peacekeeper rounds found ammo stashes and tore them to pieces.  
  
The battle for Mipar was over. All that was left was the clean up and the counter-attack from the Scarrens. 


	17. The Long Hard Road

Commonscape  
  
By: Griffin  
  
Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me.  
  
Note: Most of the Andromeda crew is current as far as about 2 months ago. Farscape crew is quite a bit older.  
  
Author's Note: Yes, I know it's not Sebatian lol I just don't want to find and fix every time I wrote it wrong. I would probably frell up the reloading of the chapters onto the site.  
  
Summary: The Alliance makes a bold assault on the Coalition and one must wonder: does Fortune really favor the bold?...  
  
The Long Hard Road  
  
Fleet Admiral Gregory Reinhart frowned as he watched the holo-grid before him.  
  
Second and Fifth Alliance Fleets had been allotted to the mission that Gregory was in command of.  
  
Captain Hunt had selected him specifically because of his combat experience. Dylan had wanted to lead the operation himself, but Alliance Command had overruled him, stating that the Andromeda was too important as a symbol of fleet strength to use in such an assault.  
  
So Gregory, aboard the Mobian battleship Unity of the Many, was in command of Task Force Two-point-one. Second Fleet, split into four Task Forces, was moving toward the Peacekeeper frontier, where they would strike four systems. The Task Forces would then form a spear and strike toward the heart of the Sebatian lead Coalition.  
  
Fourth Fleet had been divided into three task groups, each on their way to assault one of the Peacekeeper's fellow Coalition members.  
  
Gregory, by far, had the hardest mission. His task force would be attacking the Coalition fleet base at Peryan, where the Second Frontier Fleet was based.  
  
"Sir, we're two hours from our objective," Commander Delia Smith reported from Flag Navigation and Gregory nodded.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"We have incoming grav-flash!" Lieutenant Fera Demara reported on the Command Deck of the command cruiser Sebatia.  
  
The flagship of Second Fleet went immediately to battle stations as Coalition sensors all over the system registered the arrival of an enormous Alliance fleet.  
  
Initial estimates spotted Luxon, Ilanic and Commonwealth warships, in formation for a least-time assault of the fleet yards.  
  
"Alert all ships and order formation Ango-Two. And as soon as we have hard numbers I want to hear them," High Admiral Sali Torit ordered.  
  
As the Commanding Officer of Second Frontier Fleet, Sali was responsible for the safety of over ninety light-years of space between the Alliance and the Coalition.  
  
Recently that task hadn't been very difficult as the Alliance focused on rebuilding their lost strength. His ships had been harassed here and there by Alliance raiders, but for the most part the front had been quiet.  
  
Sali had gathered his fleet in the Peryan for war games. He felt that they needed to improve their anti-alliance tactics.  
  
That decision, it would seem, was wise.  
  
He had ninety-five percent of his fleet strength at his disposal.  
  
Five command cruisers, six Nebari battleships, six Scorvian dreadnaughts, eight Hynerian battle cruisers and three Hynerian carriers formed the core of his fleet.  
  
Battle cruisers, heavy cruisers, light cruisers and destroyers formed the rest of his fleet. He had a total of eleven battle cruiser squadrons, ten squadrons of heavy cruisers, fourteen light cruiser squadrons and eight destroyer flotillas. A huge number of warships considering the losses the Coalition seemed to be taking all across the board.  
  
Sali hoped that it would be enough as the first hard drive numbers came flowing in.  
  
Seventeen battleships, of either Luxon or Ilanic design; five Independent command cruisers, nine of the Commonwealth's battleships and ten Nietzschean battleships formed the core of the enemy fleet.  
  
Their lighter elements were almost identical to his own forces, with the exception that they seemed to have an extra squadron of light cruisers running cover for their Commonwealth battleships.  
  
"This is Admiral Torit, we are going to kick these Alliance intruders out of our star," he announced on the fleet-wide com. "All units begin formation Ango-Two."  
  
Sali smiled slightly as his entire fleet seemed to move as one fluid entity. The lighter warships took up their positions at the head of the fleet as fighters launched from their bays.  
  
Peacekeeper Prowlers, Nebari Arrows, Scorvian Strikers, Hynerian Dreadhammers and the new Coalition Arrow-Hammers launched from their docking bays.  
  
Sali frowned slightly at the thought of the new fighter class. The ship had been designed with Alliance fighters in mind. It took advantage of the Arrow's mobility while drawing heavy guns and armor from the Dreadhammer. It was an idle fighter-killer, or rather was supposed to be.  
  
This would be the first, full-sized engagement that the class would see. And it would determine if the design would be continued or left for scrap in the Coalition fighter yards.  
  
"Admiral, all ships are moving into position and complying with operational parameters."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Five command cruisers, six Nebari battleships, six Scorvian dreadnaughts, eight Hynerian battle cruisers and three Hynerian carriers.  
  
Gregory was facing an enormous fleet, by anyone's standards. Fleet command had expected at least a portion of the enemy fleet to be on routine patrols along the ninety or so light years that they were charged with protecting.  
  
The Unity's Combat Information Center estimated that they were facing anywhere from ninety to ninety-six percent of the fleet's total strength.  
  
Task Force Two-Point-One had been designed to face a full one hundred percent of fleet strength, but at high costs.  
  
Gregory shook his head as the holo-grid began to haze with the initial jamming and stealth system activation. His own ships had been generating electronic interference the minute they left the slipstream. Gregory didn't want the Coalition getting a good look at the Unity or her sister-ship the Strength In Numbers before they reached combat range.  
  
The modified Mobian battleship designs took advantage of Frag cannon technology, Luxon plasma cannons and defense screens. Not to mention their use of FTL communications technology and Luxon stealth systems.  
  
The Unity and Strength were the first of their class, with many more right behind them. The two ships had been nearly complete when the new designs were drawn up. Another week into their construction and the changes would have been impossible to make and still get the ships out when they did.  
  
And Mobian battleships were the only designs being changed. Almost every design in the Commonwealth, Luxon, Ilanic and Independent lists were being modified to include the new technologies from the new allies.  
  
The changes would help to provide the fleets with a balance once the new classes of ships were deployed.  
  
One such design that was going to increase the Commonwealth's fleet power greatly was the newly christened Restored Heritage XMC class battle cruiser.  
  
The design improved upon the Glorious Heritage class by adding command cruiser sized frag cannons, dreadnaught strength plasma cannons and defense screens to the ship. The result would be an extremely powerful warship capable of leading any task group into battle.  
  
It was rumored among the higher echelons of the Fleet that when the first of the Restored Heritage class ships was christened, she would be named the Andromeda Ascendant and would replace the older ship as the Flagship of the Fleet.  
  
The rumor had been denied on many levels of the Alliance High Command, but its resilience gave it some credit.  
  
Gregory was one of the people that doubted the story. Dylan was very attached to his ship, and only its destruction would lead him to take on a new ship.  
  
Much like the destruction of Gregory's previous command, the Glorious Star of Silen had lead him to take the Unity as his flagship.  
  
Gregory frowned at his memory of the lost ship and then turned back to the task at hand.  
  
"All ships prepare to launch fighters. Sensor drones are picking up incoming fighter craft, be advised we are entering a target rich environment."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"This is Ango-Leader to Ango-Two; expect enemy contact in ninety microts. They seem to have launched their whole compliment," the voice announced over the com and Sub-Officer Grena Sarin frowned.  
  
Her AH-1 class Arrow-Hammer fighter-killer was a hog to handle compared to her agile Prowler. Her only advantage was that she had once piloted a marauder during combat.  
  
Grena's frown deepened as she watched Arrows and Prowlers dart past her into the lead of the fighter formation. High Command didn't want the Arrow- Hammers to lead the assault, lest their designs be flawed and they be destroyed too quickly to effectively test.  
  
When Flight Squad Seventeen, Officer Herit Rikesh and Sub-Officer Grena Sarin commanding, had been assigned to lead the first Arrow-Hammer squadron, Grena had been less than pleased.  
  
They had only been training in the ships for a month. Their tactics were no where near what they would have been if FS-17 were allowed back in their prowlers.  
  
*At least Herit gets his marauder.* Grena thought bitterly as she glared at the holo-graphic image of the marauder near the middle of her formation.  
  
"Red team, taking the lead," an Arrow pilot announced as the enemy fighters became visible to the naked eye. And it was begun.  
  
Arrows dodged incoming fire as they allowed their pulse cannons to get closer to the incoming enemy fighters.  
  
Missiles launched from the enemy fighters, their targeting systems latching onto the nearest fighter.  
  
Formations went to pieces as fighters bobbed and weaved to avoid the missile fire.  
  
Arrows and Prowlers exploded brilliantly as missiles slammed into their hulls. Enemy fire tore apart more as the first Arrows reached what they expected to be ideal range. Pulse cannons opened fire and Grena smiled as the first of the enemy fighters exploded.  
  
Then it was her turn.  
  
"This is Ango-One, engaging enemy fighters," she announced ceremoniously as she became the first person to fire an Arrow-Hammer's main plasma cannon at an enemy fighter.  
  
The plasma rounds and their accompanying pulse rounds pounded their target, a Luxon battle fighter. The ship exploded in a quick flash and Grena turned her attention to another target and to another target after that.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Sir, the Arrow-Hammers seem to be doing well against the enemy fighters," Lieutenant Fera Demara reported with an exultant smile, her green eyes twinkling with success. "Our fighters are pounding them heavily."  
  
"Don't get too excited," Sali warned. "The battle has just begun. What is time until light warships enter combat range?"  
  
"Estimates put initial fire exchange at one quarter arn," Fera reported and Sali nodded.  
  
The real test of any fleet was in battle. Sali had drilled his ships for weeks using any number of observed attack patterns the Alliance would employ. He had designed Formation Ango-Two to take full advantage of his Hynerian battle cruisers and their Attika mounts while avoiding the withering fire of Luxon battleships.  
  
He watched his tactical grid as fighters slipped through the enemy jamming shell and transmitted clear drive signatures and numbers.  
  
Sali frowned as two of the red triangles alternated between red and orange, indicating an unknown design.  
  
"Get me a close scan of those two," Sali ordered, highlighting the two ships.  
  
A trio of Arrow-class fighters diverted from the dogfight and slipped between enemy destroyers.  
  
A hail of pulse and plasma fire chased the three ships as they ran deeper into the enemy formation.  
  
One of the fighters exploded as a volley of frag cannons caught her pilot from all directions.  
  
A second fighter lost drive power as a pulse cannon from a nearby light cruiser grazed her drive. The pilot ejected from the craft only moments before the ship exploded.  
  
The third fighter knifed deeper and deeper, where the larger ships forced more room between their drive fields. Point-defense fire rained down around the pilot, but whoever it was dodged and jumped to avoid becoming space dust.  
  
The jamming field around the pair of battleships was heavier than anywhere else, but the Arrow pilot was able to make penetration. A signal radar map was all that the pilot could manage before a full broadside of pulse cannons, from a heavy cruiser's main guns no less, tore the vessel apart.  
  
But that hull map was enough for Sali to frown.  
  
They were hybridizing their ships.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"They know," Commander Frank Listern reported from Flag Tactical. "That fighter got just inside our jamming field and hit us with pulse radar.  
  
"Acknowledged," Gregory said with a nod. "What is the time to first contact between the destroyers and the enemy line?"  
  
"Three minutes," Commander Listern reported.  
  
Gregory frowned as he watched the two formations closing. If the Coalition ships survived this battle, they would take news of the design hybridization back to their High Command and perhaps give the Coalition ideas on how to merge their various designs.  
  
Not to mention the fact that they would begin designing their formations to hit ships with as much of a variety as possible to overwhelm the various advantages.  
  
Gregory watched the holo-grid as the red circles and green squares swirled around each other in the dogfight. The enemy fighters were holding their own, taking out as many Alliance fighters as they lost.  
  
It didn't help that the Coalition seemed to have produced a new fighter class built specifically to attack the Garudas and Shrikes of his fleet.  
  
"Sir," Frank interrupted. "Forward destroyers have the range and are commencing firing activities."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Across the vast distances of space, pulse and plasma fire was invisible. There was no atmosphere or ions for the energy to vaporize. And the energy traveled at near light speed. There was nothing to intercept that fire with.  
  
The only thing visible was the effect that same energy had on a target's hull or defense screen.  
  
In the case of the latter, the screens crackled and lightning shot out from the point of impact. In the case of the former, explosions marked hits on armor and enemy gun turrets.  
  
Frag shells and missiles, despite all of their speed, were visible in space. Counter-missiles could see the drive signatures of the missiles and could track the trajectory of the frag shells.  
  
Any number of frag rounds and missiles were intercepted by tiny counter missiles. Missiles were diverted by decoys and jammers; frag rounds could be avoided if one was skilled enough.  
  
But it was nearly impossible to stop every single frag round and missile. Some made it to attack range. Defense screens helped once more, detonating ordinance far clear of its effective attack range.  
  
For the ships that did not have defense screens, the result was much different. The missiles could find the weakest attack point as they charged inward. Many missiles were targeted at gun turrets or at the command decks of their targets.  
  
Destroyers and light cruisers shook as missiles slammed into their frag turrets or plasma emplacements. Some were thrown into chaos as their command decks and communications arrays were destroyed by ruthless armor- penetrating missiles.  
  
Frag rounds, quite opposite of missiles, could not be specifically targeted past the ability to estimate where a particular shell might land by the time it reached its target.  
  
The result was heavy damage to areas that weren't quite as vital to the ship's function. But some of the small rounds a destroyer or light cruiser could fire managed to dig themselves into Coalition turrets or command decks.  
  
One such lucky round actually managed to bury itself in a full plasma magazine and tear off nearly an eighth of the ship's hull.  
  
But the battle was not one sided.  
  
Coalition plasma rounds tore in to Alliance hulls just as easily as Alliance rounds had torn in Coalition ships. And the majority of fire coming from the Coalition was either plasma or long-range pulse fire from Scorvian, Nebari or Hynerian warships.  
  
Peacekeeper frag shells made far less penetration than their Alliance counter-parts had managed. Nearly half of the Alliance, after all, came from an environment that was missile rich and thus mounted impressive anti- missile defenses.  
  
Not a single ship took any major damage from a Peacekeeper frag round.  
  
The plasma and pulse fire, on the other hand, decapitated several light cruisers as their command decks were vaporized. Other warships were crippled as drive generators exploded beneath them.  
  
Another volley, and another after that and another after that lashed out from both sides. Ships began to fall out of formation as their drives failed. Other ships exploded as a well placed attack lanced through one of their power plants.  
  
The battle was getting ugly, and fast.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Sir, thirty seconds until we have a firing solution!" Lieutenant Commander Tara Illion reported on the Command Deck of the Unity of the Many. The Flag Captain nodded as a holo-timer ran down to zero.  
  
A beep sounded throughout the command deck as that timer hit zero and Captain Tilton turned to his tactical officer.  
  
"Commander, you are cleared to fire at will."  
  
"Aye, sir, firing at will, sir." Commander Imota reported as she depressed a large crimson key. The Unity bucked as the fifty millimeter plasma guns and the two meter frag cannons belched fire.  
  
Cruisers and destroyers on both sides of the conflict were being torn apart as the range between them closed. Almost every defense screen on the lighter warships had failed and the heavy cruisers were starting to develop holes in their protective shields.  
  
The capitol ships of TF-4.1 were untouched, until now.  
  
The beams of plasma from the Unity's trio of quad-barreled plasma turrets lanced out at one of the Hynerian battle cruisers. Those had been designated as the first targets of the Fleet. The extremely detailed hull maps being transmitted from the fighters allowed the tactical computers aboard the Alliance warships to precisely target the single Attika mount cannon each of those eight ships carried.  
  
Twelve plasma bursts caught one of the battle cruisers square on the Attika mount. The resulting explosion cracked the battle cruiser in half. Two other joined her in destruction as the Unity wasn't the only ship whose attacks struck home.  
  
Three of the battle cruisers were destroyed by the first attack and four more had their Attika mounts disabled. The lone survivor turned the deadly cannon in the direction of the Strength In Numbers and the weapon pulled every ounce of reserve power and slammed it through the barrel of the weapon.  
  
The once proud Mobian battleship bucked as the beam of solid energy sliced through her defense screen and tore the ship apart. The ship literally fell apart, the chunks drifting with momentum as other ships dodged the debris.  
  
"The Strength has been killed!" A voice announced and Captain Tilton nodded as another burst of plasma fire spit from the underside of his ship.  
  
For her troubles, the ship that had destroyed the Strength found herself the target of the Unity and seven of the Luxon battleships.  
  
The battle cruiser exploded in a brilliantly expanding ball of gas.  
  
The focus on the Hynerians, however, had left the other Coalition capitol ships completely untouched in the opening volleys. The Peacekeeper command cruisers, Nebari battleships and Scorvian dreadnaughts unleashed a withering fire on their counterparts.  
  
Battle cruisers exploded under the brutal rain of fire. The battle was getting hotter and hotter.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Dylan frowned as the last of the Couriers arrived from Operation Sharpened Dagger and transmitted the reports it held to the Andromeda.  
  
The three couriers from fifth fleet, in the case of Task Force Five-point- Three the remainder of the fleet, had arrived the previous day.  
  
The attack on the Nebari had yielded an initial victory, the commanding officer reporting that his nearly unharmed fleet was proceeding to other systems. The attack on the Scorvians had resulted in the capture of three of their star systems, one of them with an intact shipyard, and the near destruction of two of the Scorvian's leading defense fleets.  
  
The attack on the Hynerians was a disaster. Task Force Five-point-Three had been decimated in the Terala system, the defense fleet fielding a full twelve battle cruisers and their crushing Attika mounts. Vice Admiral Na'Tareen had been killed aboard his flagship the Ar'Talan when the battleship made a last ditch effort to destroy the enemy flagship.  
  
Task forces Two-point-Two, Two-point-Three and Two-point-Four had all returned couriers reporting their success and their subsequent capture of nearby stars. All told twelve Peacekeeper stars had fallen to the Alliance.  
  
The incoming courier was obviously from Task Force Two-point-One, the attack force that had been targeted at Peryan.  
  
The fact that there were no other ships with the courier gave Dylan hope that perhaps the attack had succeeded. That hope was shattered as he reviewed the battle reports.  
  
Although Admiral Baines had managed to destroy ninety-two percent of the enemy fleet, his task force had been almost completely decimated, including the two refitted Mobian battleships. The courier was literally the only ship to survive the massacre.  
  
The report indicated that every single Coalition capitol ship had been destroyed, including their flagship.  
  
Admiral Baines, his heavily damaged flagship taking on scores of boarders, had rammed his battleship into the command cruiser's side and detonated all four of the ship's power plants. The two ships had been vaporized and took a hail of Coalition shuttles and at least six destroyers with them.  
  
Dylan closed the report and frowned as he paced the deck of the Andromeda.  
  
The Alliance had expended much of its fleet in the opening stages of the war. The various member nations of the Commonwealth and the Alliance were working overtime on their shipyards to get the Fleet built back up to a level that would allow offensive activities. But without decisive victories, the Alliance could not risk further offensives. Not yet.  
  
And so the Alliance started on the long hard road to reconstructing their fleet and the offensive options that fleet would give them. 


	18. Sucker Punch

Commonscape  
  
By: Griffin  
  
Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me.  
  
Note: Most of the Andromeda crew is current as far as about 2 months ago. Farscape crew is quite a bit older.  
  
Summary: The Confederation gets its first taste of blood.  
  
Sucker Punch  
  
Queen Tian Erasa frowned as she reviewed the data from her forward scouting elements.  
  
Due to the Halosians' tendency toward aggression and the Interion's pacifistic culture, the Royal Navy and Plokavian Fleet were the two groups that saw contact with the outside work.  
  
The Royal Navy, due to its much greater size, had drawn both the duty of patrolling the border with the Coalition and the Alliance and the task of escorting Confederate merchants through the territories of the belligerent Star Nations.  
  
The majority of the merchants were still trading with the Coalition, but since the arrival of the Commonwealth and the formation of the Alliance, goods had been flowing in that were becoming increasingly special to the people of the Confederation.  
  
In general, the Confederation deployed a division of three destroyers or light cruisers to most of the small to mid size transport convoys. Larger convoys earned whole squadrons of the escorts.  
  
For certain convoys, like those that went deep into the Coalition territory, divisions of battle cruisers were added to the standard escorts.  
  
So far, neither the Alliance nor the Coalition had tried to attack Confederate convoys.  
  
The same could not be said for the scavenging Sheyang.  
  
Three major convoys traveling past their debris field had been harassed by squadrons of Sheyang destroyers and even a Sheyang battleship had been spotted.  
  
There had been no major losses, some damage done to the escort vessels, but it was enough that the Merchant Guilds were demanding action.  
  
And so Tian and High Fleet Admiral Garesh Tirik had to put together an assault plan against the Sheyang Debris Fields.  
  
The Sheyang occupied seven huge debris fields, their Searchers constantly hauling in new finds for their Harvesters to look over and pick apart. Their home planet was enshrouded by Debris Field One, the largest and densest of the Fields.  
  
The problem with attacking the Sheyang in their own debris field was the fact that there was so much space junk, that sensors would be nearly useless and the Sheyang would have the advantage of being able to launch surprise attacks from the clouds of debris.  
  
"Your Majesty," Garesh said after a long silence. "I think it would be wise for our ships to draw the Sheyang out into the open and then strike them."  
  
"What would you suggest, Garesh?" Tian asked as she reviewed a holo-gram of the border situation.  
  
"I would suggest that we use the debris field against them. We could place the majority of our fleet just inside the Debris cloud. We could send a squadron of warships into the field to draw out their fleet. Once the Sheyang leave the debris field, the rest of our fleet could emerge from the cloud and pummel them."  
  
"It is an interesting plan," Tian admitted. "Get your planners working on it. I need to draft an official warning to the Sheyang before we strike them. They need to know that we mean business.  
  
"Yes, Your Majesty," Garesh said as he bowed and hurried off to one of the various offices.  
  
"So much for remaining neutral," Tian said to herself as she reviewed yet another report.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Damn Swiss," John said as he threw the data pad on the table.  
  
The pad contained the Confederation's warning to the Alliance. In it, Queen Erasa warned the Alliance that any military ships caught attempting to enter Confederation space would be immediately destroyed and the act would lead to a declaration of war against the Alliance.  
  
"Who?" Aeryn asked, confused at the reference.  
  
"An old Earth nation," Rommie interjected. "During the Second World War the Nation of Switzerland fortified their borders and declared their neutrality. Their borders were so secure that neither side in the war attempted to enter."  
  
Aeryn's frown deepened. She shook her head and turned back to the discussion at hand.  
  
"So we can't use their territory as a safe-haven?" Aeryn asked and John nodded.  
  
"That seems to be the case," Dylan agreed. "Though I wonder if they consider merchant escorts in this category. If so, they seem to have a double standard in regards to their own merchants and ours."  
  
"Indeed," Li'Taran said with a nod. The Luxons were known throughout the territories as being one of the fiercest protectors of their own shipping interests. And if someone thought that they were going to strip that protection, they were sadly mistaken.  
  
"What shall we do then?" Crais asked, he was on Talyn as the Corvette prepared to join a patrol division on the front.  
  
"We'll send a courier to their capitol to clarify the issue And if they think that they can send military ships as escorts, then they better expect us to do the same," Dylan said firmly and heads nodded.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Gren, leader of the Sheyang, as far as the Sheyang had any leader, frowned as he read the warning from the Confederation of Neutral Stars.  
  
He threw the data pad across the room with disdain and turned to his second in command.  
  
"I want attacks on Confederate vessels increased. I want their vessels destroyed or scavenged. Use the battleships if you have to."  
  
"Yes, Sir," the second in command said as he hurried to pass the order.  
  
The Sheyang people were not a force to be threatened. They recognized power when they saw it, but the Confederation was untested. Their ships had not seen combat yet, whereas the Sheyang fleets were strong and familiar with the taste of blood. The Sheyang would see if the Confederates could support their threats.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Commodore Yara Uner frowned as her squadron of destroyers and their six merchant cruisers moved along the outer edges of Debris Field Six.  
  
The path was dangerous, but necessary due to the position of the field between the Royal Colonies and the Plokavian Territories. Field Six, however, was one of the smaller fields and was less likely to have very heavy firepower.  
  
That was, at least, what High Command told a lowly commodore.  
  
And High Command, it seemed, was about to be proven wrong.  
  
Alarms sounded on the Command Deck of the destroyer Light-Foot as unidentified sensor contacts began filtering out of the debris field.  
  
The Confederate sensors scanned the vessels as they approached and quickly designated them as Sheyang destroyers.  
  
"Commodore, we have eleven Sheyang Class-One destroyers inbound at maximum speed. They seem to mean business, Ma'am," Lieutenant Commander Taris Pal reported from the ship's tactical post.  
  
"All ships to red alert!" Yara ordered as she activated her tactical grid. "Order all ships to move into protective formation and instruct the merchants to go to full power, get them out of here!"  
  
"Yes, Ma'am," Light-Foot's communications officers responded as he went to work.  
  
"Time until we have a firing solution?" Yara asked as she quickly pulled her vac-suit over her uniform.  
  
"Three hundred microts. Sheyang will have a solution in two hundred and fifty!" Taris reported as he too donned his vac-suit.  
  
"Order all ships to pick a target and focus on that target's plasma cannon. If we can take those out we may have a chance," Yara told her command crew as the two squadrons closed the gap.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"The Confederate destroyers are charging our destroyers, just as we expected. Merchants have gone to full power and are fleeing toward Plokavian space."  
  
"Acknowledged," Commander Reng said with a growl on the command deck of the Sheyang battleship Dragon. "Order all battleships to begin their run at the merchants. Full power to the plasma cannons and target the engines. We want whatever those merchants have in their hulls."  
  
The five Sheyang battleships that had been hiding in the debris field, suddenly appeared on the Confederate scanners and the merchant captains panicked. They realized that they were going to be destroyed or captured if they didn't do something drastic. The six ships scattered in all directions, their drives working at maximum to get them out of the way of the charging Sheyang warships.  
  
The Confederate destroyers realized too late that they had been suckered away from their charges to make the way clear for the Sheyang battleships.  
  
They also realized that it wouldn't have done them any good even if they had stayed with the merchants considering the sheer power of a Sheyang battleships' main plasma cannon.  
  
The ten Royal Navy destroyers charged headlong toward the eleven Sheyang destroyers. And as each side attacked, explosions marked the damage done to the enemy vessels.  
  
The Sheyang battleships caught all but one of the merchants, that lone survivor running straight for the safety of the Plokavian border fleet.  
  
The Sheyang destroyers, outnumbering and outgunning the Confederate destroyers, made short work of their targets. Only one of the destroyers maintained structural integrity while only three of the Sheyang destroyers were lost.  
  
The result of the attack on the Confederate fleet, however, would make the Sheyang wish they had never attacked Convoy DSP-One-Seven-Nine.  
  
* * * * * * 


	19. Retribution

Commonscape  
  
By: Griffin  
  
Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me.  
  
Note: Most of the Andromeda crew is current as far as about 2 months ago. Farscape crew is quite a bit older.  
  
Summary: The Confederation strikes back at the Sheyang  
  
Author's Note: Sorry about the delay.I was suffering from a minor case of writer's block, which has happily been smashed :-)  
  
Retribution  
  
"Your Majesty, a courier just arrived from the Plokavian border. It seems that Convoy Echo-Seven-Niner was lost to Sheyang raiders. From what the merchant survivor was able to gather, they used destroyers to draw off the escorts and then hit the merchants with battleships." High Fleet Admiral Garesh Tirik frowned. "Ma'am the Merchant Guilds and the other Confederation members are demanding action on this. The Plokavian fleets are already amassing near their border with the Sheyang."  
  
"Send word to the Plokavian Fleet Command. Instruct them to send us any ships they can spare for the attack on the Sheyangs. Then get your planning department working on an attack on their main debris field," Queen Tian Erasa, Ruler of the Royal Sebatian Colonies and Head Chancellor of the Confederation of Neutral Stars, told her Chief Naval Officer.  
  
"Yes, Your Majesty," Garesh said as he bowed and stepped out of the command center.  
  
Tian stood and paced, bringing up the Sheyang Debris Fields on the large holo-generator at the center of the room.  
  
She frowned as she looked at the sheer size of the debris fields. There were numerous places where Sheyang ships could hide. Their energy signatures would be masked by the heavy metal content of the debris. They could set up any number of ambushes.  
  
That meant that any Confederation attack force couldn't use the most predictable assault path.  
  
She pressed a series of keys on the control panel and several red lines appeared in the holo-grid, indicating possible attack routes that would not be the standard for the Confederation.  
  
Most of the lines zigzagged through lighter areas of debris or cut across empty spots, or had multiple paths associated with them, leaving almost no chance for the Sheyang to trap them.  
  
She selected three possible attack vectors and saved the settings in the holo-grid's memory bank before turning the generator off and strolling back to her quarters for some sleep.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Admiral Temis Vaseg frowned as his fleet edged toward Debris Field One.  
  
Operation Clean-Sweep was a massive undertaking by the Confederation fleet, their first series test of strength against a focused enemy fleet.  
  
Under his control, Temis had three distinct Task Forces.  
  
Task Force One, which he directly controlled, contained the majority of the Confederate ships. He controlled five Command Cruisers, four Plokavian Dread Cruisers and two Halosian Devastators, forming the core of his fleet. He had a horde of battle cruisers, cruisers and destroyers flying as escorts and a swarm of fighter craft.  
  
Task Force Two, under the command of Admiral Eralia Rokesh, was leading the way to the debris field. TF-Two was formed around a core of Confederate heavy cruisers, specifically designed for combat in debris or asteroid fields. The ships had an unusually high number of pulse cannons and plasma guns, meant to clear out any debris or asteroids that might get in their way.  
  
Task Force Three, under the command of Vice Admiral Terrenis Silat, was a much smaller force, focused around a pair of battle cruisers and three Plokavian battleships. TF-Three was circling around to the other side of the debris field to attack from the Sheyang rear. TF-Three six Plokavian Stingers, specially designed destroyers that were very fast and carried high-power plasma cannons. One shot from the weapon could tear apart any vessel.  
  
"Admiral, Force Two is approaching the edge of the debris field, their scanners are starting to target the scrap and their guns are charging," Lieutenant Lina Feris reported from her position at tactical on the command deck of the Command Cruiser Laro.  
  
"Good, if anything comes out of the woodwork, let me know."  
  
"Aye, sir."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
The Sheyang patrol cruiser the Hunter was safely hidden in the hulk of what had been a Peacekeeper battle cruiser.  
  
At least, they thought they were safe.  
  
The Hunter's scanners saw the approaching fleet of Confederate vessels, and watched as they closed the distance with the debris field.  
  
The scanner sweeps by the approaching fleet couldn't see the Hunter, but they mapped every piece of debris they could touch.  
  
And when the range closed sufficiently, Task-Force-Two turned their heavily armed broadsides and released a maelstrom of energy and plasma rounds.  
  
Explosions rocked the Hunter's hiding place and destroyed most of the smaller debris.  
  
The Hunter's captain panicked and ordered his ship to retreat.  
  
The cruiser never made it through the Confederation's second salvo.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Gren swore as the reports continued to reach him.  
  
The Confederation was attacking in force. And they were clearing out the Debris Field as they advanced, eliminating the Sheyang's primary method of attack.  
  
He slammed a data-pad onto the table and turned to his second-in-command, who was sufficiently afraid of his commander that he remained silent.  
  
"I want the entire fleet assembled. We will meet the Confederation in battle in the open."  
  
The second nodded and scurried off, leaving Gren alone.  
  
As he sat there, watching his holo-grid display the advancing Confederate positions, Gren realized that he had made a fatal mistake when he had called the Confederate's bluff. They had been serious and had the firepower to back up their threats.  
  
But it was too late to go back and fix what he had done. All he could do was charge into battle and go out with honor and glory.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Task Force Two reports that the Sheyang fleet has assembled and is moving to intercept. They are requesting orders," Lieutenant Dera Sifel reported from the Laro's communications post.  
  
"Instruct Admiral Rokesh to bring her ships back into formation with Task Force One," Temis ordered as he watched the Command Deck's holo-grid.  
  
The grid displayed the location of all three task groups and the known locations of Sheyang vessels.  
  
Another half-arn and Task Force Three would be turning back and cutting through the Debris Field to attack the Sheyang's rear.  
  
The Sheyang were a quarter arn from combat range, and half an arn from the point at which Task Force Three would turn.  
  
The range meant that Temis would have to keep the Sheyang at bay for the better part of an arn. He was sure that he could do it, but he knew that it would require the loss of many ships.  
  
He hoped that he could inflict enough damage with Task Forces One and Two that the Sheyang would retreat right into the teeth of Task Force Three, or that he could destroy them completely without the aid of Task Force Three.  
  
He knew that either of those possibilities was a long shot, but the longer he was engaged with the Sheyang, the higher his losses would be. He intended to attack with full force, and leave the remains for Task Force Three to clean up.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Half of the Sheyang's approach was clouded by the remainders of the debris field, areas where Task Force Two had not yet cleared.  
  
But the other half was in the open, and they charged straight toward the Confederation fleet.  
  
Temis had set his fleet up to take full advantage of Task Force Two's heavy armaments, dividing the Task Force and putting to either end. The entire fleet was stopped and positioned so that their heaviest attack was targeted at the Sheyang.  
  
As the first Sheyang destroyers buzzed into range, the Confederates opened fire with the fury of an exploding sun, and Gren watched as his first wave was destroyed outright.  
  
But the second wave of destroyers attacked as the Confederates recharged.  
  
The Sheyang plasma cannons lashed out, the destroyer sized weapons targeted at the Confederate capitol ships in an attempt to weaken the resistance.  
  
Plasma rounds burrowed into armor and detonated, tearing chunks out of their targets' hulls. But the damage was far from enough.  
  
A second volley from the Confederate guns wiped the second wave of destroyers from space.  
  
Gren realized that his straight-forward attack would never defeat the massive Confederate fleet.  
  
He barked orders to his communications officer and watched as his fleet reformed, the heavy cruisers, their armor the thickest of any ship besides his battleships, able to withstand the firestorm of energy the Confederates were releasing.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Temis watched as the Sheyang fleet changed formation, putting their heavy cruisers to the front and their lighter warships to the rear.  
  
He swore silently as the Sheyang continued to advance and the first volley of energy was absorbed by the heavy cruisers.  
  
Then it was the Sheyangs' turn to wreak havoc.  
  
The heavy cruisers carried a full-sized version of the plasma cannons the Sheyang were known for.  
  
The huge rounds erupted from the barrels of the Sheyang warship and Temis watched as they tore at their targets.  
  
Unlike the destroyers, the heavy cruisers were targeting the mid-sized ships in the Confederate fleet, specifically the ships on the flanks.  
  
The redesigned Confederate heavy cruisers had a higher number of cannons than their standard design, but that was both a blessing and a curse. The increased firepower came at the loss of large amounts of armor. So when the Sheyang plasma rounds found their mark, the damage was greater than it should have been.  
  
Temis swore, loudly this time, as several of his gun-cruisers erupted in glorious explosions.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Gren grinned in triumph as he watched balls of expanding plasma consume the first of the Confederate warships.  
  
He counted at least two dozen kills and at least twice that number in serious hits to larger vessels.  
  
"Order all ships to attack at will. I want those ships destroyed!"  
  
The Sheyang fleet pressed forward as another wave of Confederate energy swept over the lead heavy cruisers.  
  
The heavy cruisers, their armor already damaged by one volley, took more damage this time. Several of the cruisers exploded as energy rounds slammed into their power plants. Other ships lagged behind as their drive systems took damage or their power plants went into emergency shut down.  
  
But the Sheyang continued to press on, bringing their battle cruisers into attack range.  
  
Their heavy cannons spit fire at their targets, the plasma rounds targeted at the Confederate capitol ships.  
  
A command cruiser bucked and heaved as a full squadron of Sheyang battle cruisers targeted it. Half of the ship's power planets went into emergency shut down and the ship was quickly surrounded by heavy cruisers, the ships moving to interpose themselves between the damaged capitol ship and its attackers.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Sir, the Irana just lost half her plants, the thirty-second heavy cruisers moved into protective formation."  
  
"Order the Halosians to open fire, we have to hold them for another four- sixth of an arn!"  
  
The Halosian Devastators were one of the most feared warships in the Uncharted Territories. The ship mounted four particle cannons, enormous weapons that siphoned energy straight from the power plant and focused it into a long-range, highly effective lance of energy. Particle cannons could tear even some of the most powerful warships apart.  
  
The Halosians turned from their positions near the rear of the formation and brought their particle cannons to bear on the Sheyang battle cruisers. It took a moment for their targeting scanners to pick out their targets, and another moment for the cannons to charge, but then sixteen beams of pure energy lanced out from the four Devastators, and sixteen Sheyang warships were consumed.  
  
The Halosians pulled back, their cannons needing time to cool and their power plants needing to recharge.  
  
But the Sheyang were not about to let those devastating guns retreat.  
  
The battle cruisers charged forward, braving the fire of the rest of the Confederate fleet to attack the Halosians.  
  
The Confederates would have spent more of their energy attacking the invading battle cruisers, but they had bigger fish to worry about. The Sheyang battleships reached attack range, and from the rear of their fleet a pair of dreadnaughts emerged.  
  
The Sheyang were rumored to only have six of the enormous ships that they called dreadnaughts. The vessels were twice the size of their already impressive battleships and contained the firepower equivalent to an entire squadron of their heavy cruisers.  
  
The battleships and dreadnaughts wasted no time in attacking, before the Confederates could get a single volley off, the ships opened fire. Their plasma rounds slammed into the armor of the Confederate capitol ships and battle cruisers.  
  
Temis watched in horror as two of his Dread Cruisers and one of his Command Cruisers exploded.  
  
He turned to the holo-grid and swore as the Sheyang battle cruisers swarmed the Halosians and tore three of the ships apart, crippling the fourth and then turning to attack the rear of the Confederate formation.  
  
Temis realized that he needed to do something, and quickly before the Sheyang tore his fleet to pieces.  
  
"All ships, fire at will!" He ordered and watched as his fleet scattered to attack.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Vice Admiral Terrenis Silat pushed her ships to their limit as she tried to get to Admiral Vaseg's assistance before the Sheyang destroyed him.  
  
She frowned as she emerged from the debris field, on the same path that the Sheyang had used to reach the battle. The remnants of Task Forces One and Two were scattered across the clearing, many destroyed and many more damaged. They were still fighting with the Sheyang, who had also taken serious damage.  
  
Neither group had more than one or two functioning capitol ships, the majority of the vessels lying lifeless across the battlefield. Terrenis barked orders to her Stingers and her fighter squadrons.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Queen Tian Erasa, Ruler of the Royal Sebatian Colonies and Head Chancellor of the Confederation of Neutral Stars, frowned as she reviewed the after- action reports from Admiral Vaseg's fleet.  
  
Vaseg had suffered eighty-three percent losses in hardware and seventy-six percent losses in personnel.  
  
All thirteen Confederate capitol ships had been either destroyed or were crippled so badly that they would need months of time in dry dock before they would be battle ready again.  
  
But in the end, Temis' plan to send a small portion of ships to attack from the rear had succeeded.  
  
Task Force Three had saved the battle, the undamaged ships attacking from the rear and taking out the remaining Sheyang resistance.  
  
The other Sheyang forces had quickly learned about the resounding defeat of their largest group. Already Tian was receiving truces and apologies from the other Clans of the Sheyang.  
  
She smiled as she leaned back.  
  
The Confederacy had faced its first major test and had passed. The other groups would know now that the Confederacy meant business and that anyone who crossed any of its members would face the wrath of its fleets. 


	20. Stalemate

Commonscape  
  
By: Griffin  
  
Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me.  
  
Note: Most of the Andromeda crew is current as far as about 2 months ago. Farscape crew is quite a bit older.  
  
Author's Note: Sorry about the lengthy delay to all of the faithful readers. I have been watching my enhanced stats and the skyrocketing number of readers. I just had a lot of work to do recently.  
  
Summary: An overburdened Coalition fights to survive and the Alliance and Confederation face-off.  
  
Stalemate  
  
It has been three solar months since the first battles were launched in the Great War.  
  
And the Peacekeepers have found themselves overburdened with the task of fighting a war on three sides and still maintaining internal order.  
  
They turn to a new hope, dangerous and promising. They have ambition and a will to fight. And a new fleet that has been carefully hidden from prying eyes.  
  
But will it help them?  
  
* * * * * *  
  
High Commandant Rekit Savar, Head Commandant of the Peacekeeper Military and Magistrate Ivar Nirant, ruler of the Peacekeeper Coalition, sat in Ivar's large office on Sebatia.  
  
They were, however, not alone.  
  
Reva Talik was the Chief Scientist in charge of Operation Tunneler. Her dark red hair was tied into a ponytail, reaching half-way down her body. Her blue eyes watched Ivar and Rekit as they read her most recent report.  
  
As the leading scientist on Operation Tunneler's roster, Reva was in charge of developing the Peacekeeper's wormhole technology into a system that could carry the Coalition fleets anywhere in the universe. Perhaps then they would be able to hit the Alliance and the Scarren Empire at their own bases instead of sitting back and trying to repel the invasion attempts.  
  
With the exception of Reva, all of Operation Tunneler's scientists were kept on a strict lockdown. They had absolutely no contact with the outside world.  
  
Reva, as Project Manager, was the exception to that rule. She was allowed to see the classified briefings that came to High Command and was allowed out of the Operation's base to meet with Ivar and Rekit.  
  
The reports coming from both the Alliance and Scarren fronts showed that the war was a stalemate on both ends of the Coalition space. The Scarren border had been nothing but border skirmishes since Operation End Run had been shut down by the Scarren Imperial Fleet. Fourth and Seventh Fleets had managed to take eight systems before a pair of Scarren Fleets had stopped them. The captures by the two attacking Coalition fleets had been maintained, but only after strained combat.  
  
The front with the Alliance was precarious after the Alliance had launched five oversized Task Groups at the Coalition.  
  
The Alliance had managed to hit the Nebari hard, taking nearly half of their eleven systems, and had maimed the Scorvian's First and Second Fleets, taking three of the Scorvian's reported eight-six systems with them.  
  
The Alliance had been beaten back in their attack on the Hynerian border, the Hynerian Imperial First, Second and Third fleets repelling the attacks with force.  
  
One of the four Task Groups sent targeted at the Peacekeepers had been repelled at the Peryan system, though at the loss of ninety-two percent of the Coalition fleet protecting the outpost. The other Task Groups had cut a triangle into the Peacekeeper border taking twelve systems and holding them with reinforcements from their Fleet.  
  
It was this stalemate that Operation Tunneler was supposed to break. The front with the Alliance had to be constantly patrolled due to their ability to travel from system to system without covering any of the intervening space. The front with the Scarrens was similarly protected, but by over twice as many ships.  
  
If Operation Tunneler turned out to be a success, the Coalition would be able to land strikes straight at the heart of the enemy positions, hopefully creating enough damage to pull the three sided war into a truce or a cease-fire.  
  
"How long do you think it will be until you are ready to test your first large-scale models?" Ivar asked, bringing Reva out of her thoughts.  
  
"Our initial tests, based on the Pod modules, have been a resounding success, though we have not figured out why. Initial tests indicate the design of the vessel is the key. If that is the case, we will need to construct a module of larger size before testing. I estimate at least two months before we are able to test the first large scale module and at least four months to construct it."  
  
"So half a cycle?" Rekit asked with a frown.  
  
"Roughly," Reva nodded. "Unless we have a sudden breakthrough, of course."  
  
"All right," Ivar said with a frown. "You are dismissed."  
  
Reva bowed and retreated from the office, leaving the Magistrate and Head Commandant to their plans.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Magistrate Ivar Nirant and High Commandant Rekit Savar frowned as Reva Talik hurried out of the large office.  
  
"Half a cycle," Ivar said as he shook his head. "We have to buy her half a cycle before she can even test a large scale module."  
  
"We don't have that long," Rekit announced. "My spies are indicating that the Alliance has rebuilt its fleet and is preparing for offensive actions again."  
  
"Jerin reported the same thing to me yesterday," Ivar said with a nod.  
  
"What would you suggest though? Jerin's people are working on some plans to target the Alliance, but he said it might be a day or so before he has anything to bring me."  
  
"I think request a truce, or a cease-fire," Rekit said with a shrug.  
  
"Are you kidding me?" Ivar asked, his eyes wide with surprise. "High Command would have me shot!"  
  
"Not if it brought an end to a war which we are losing. The fact that the Alliance has already started preparing for offensive maneuvers indicates that their fleet base and shipbuilding capacity and ability far outshines our own. There is no way we can keep up with them."  
  
"That might be true, but what are we going to offer them to guarantee the truce? They will require some concessions on our part?"  
  
"That is true," Rekit agreed. "Perhaps offer them control of the systems they have taken from us in exchange for returning the Nebari and Scorvian systems."  
  
Ivar stood and began to pace.  
  
Rekit was proposing something very dangerous. If he tried to get a truce with the Alliance and High Command didn't approve, he could lose his position and perhaps face other consequences. It was a dangerous game to play, especially when Operation Tunneler could have a working model in.  
  
Ivar's eyes widened as he realized what Rekit was proposing. He turned and Rekit grinned.  
  
"You're a genius," Ivar said with a resolute nod. "Get working on that immediately. I'm going to call a secret emergency session of High Command and inform them of our plans."  
  
Rekit nodded and quickly disappeared.  
  
If the Alliance took their offer, and signed a cease-fire, the Coalition would have time to develop Operation Tunneler and when the wormhole technology was finally ready to use, Coalition fleets could attack a stunned opponent.  
  
Ivar grinned as he began waking the other members of the High Command and summoning them to the meeting.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Luxon Ambassador Ki' Lalar frowned as she entered the opulent offices of Queen Tian Erasa.  
  
The Queen's parlor was enormous, even by diplomatic standards, and was definitely designed to impress- or was it perhaps intimidate? - any visitors to the chamber.  
  
Ki' Lalar, the Ilanic Ambassador Il' Rekesh and the Alliance Ambassador Frena Kildess were shown to a trio of comfortable arm chairs facing a lone chair across a table strewn with appetizers and drinks.  
  
Ki' Lalar had been Ambassador to the Royal Sebatian Colonies for seven cycles before the outbreak of the War, so she was accustomed to the set up.  
  
Il' Rekesh and Frena Kildess were both less than a month into their tenure as Ambassadors to the Confederation and were still amazed by the smallest of things.  
  
As they sat and waited for the Queen, Lalar, Rekesh and Frena whispered to each other about the tapestries and the windows and the trim. It was all very beautiful work.  
  
"Admiring the tapestries?" A voice asked and all three Ambassadors turned to see Queen Erasa gracefully entering from one of the side doors. "I'm sorry that you had to resort to that. I was dealing with matters of state with my Chief of Staff."  
  
"It was no inconvenience, Your Majesty," Lalar said with a respectful bow of the head. Rekesh and Frena took their queues from the elder diplomat and bowed their heads slightly.  
  
"Well," Erasa said as she sat and picked up some form of tart and nibbled. "What can I do for you this afternoon?"  
  
"Your recent pronouncements that any military vessel entering your territory will be considered a hostile," Lalar said simply. "The Alliance High Command, and more specifically the Luxon and Ilanic members of the Alliance, would like clarification."  
  
"What needs to be clarified?" Tian Erasa asked with a frown. "If it is armed and enters our territory, we consider it hostile."  
  
"You would consider a merchant escort to be a vessel with hostile intent?" Rekesh asked, taking over the debate for a moment.  
  
"If it is armed, then yes," Tian replied simply as she sipped some form of tea.  
  
"And yet you expect us to allow your merchant escorts free reign of our territory? Where is the fairness and equality?" Rekesh asked as she leaned back.  
  
"I never claimed that there would be fairness," Tian said simply. "The Confederation, unlike the Alliance and the Coalition, has not shown any aggressiveness towards our neighbors. The only conflict we have seen is with the Sheyang, and everyone knows that we were acting in defense of our shipping rights."  
  
"The Alliance was formed after the Coalition attacked the Alleghany system," Frena interjected.  
  
"But the Alliance launched the first major assault of the war," Tian interrupted. "If this is all you have come to talk about, you have wasted my time. There will be not settling on this matter. Good afternoon."  
  
Tian rose with a growl and stalked out of the chambers, leaving the Ambassadors speechless.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
John Crichton, Dylan Hunt, Li'Taran, Leo Tiral and Ki'Tisan frowned as the report from the Ambassadors assigned to the Confederation was read.  
  
Li'Taran growled deeply as he stood and paced the briefing room, looking none too happy.  
  
"There will be no double standards," Ki'Tisan said simply. "I will not allow Confederation ships into my territory if they will not allow me the same privilege."  
  
"Then we must act as one, with a unified voice," Dylan said with a slight frown. "If one of us lets the Confederation in and another does not, we will seem weak and divided."  
  
"I doubt there will be much need of discussion," Leo Tiral said with a shrug. "We have no interaction with the Confederate merchants, so the Sabra- Jaguar will help support any decision that you make."  
  
"Very well, let's see what we can come up with."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Alliance Task Force Three-One-Alpha was positioned at the point that both the Confederation and the Alliance agreed upon as the border between the two powers.  
  
Leading the Task Force was the Andromeda Ascendant herself, with three command cruisers, fourteen battle cruisers, forty cruisers and two flotillas of destroyers in support. The Task Force would have been a fleet had it been provided a few more capitol ships.  
  
But TF-31A was not in place to launch an assault, which would require capitol ships. Rather, TF-31A was in place to blockade the approaching Confederation trade convoy. Over eighty merchant ships and one hundred destroyers and light cruisers. The Alliance force consisted of the right mix of firepower and speed to make sure that the convoy never made it past the border.  
  
"Sir, advanced drones report that the Convoy is approaching. Estimated time until we are detected is twelve minutes." Rommie reported and Dylan nodded.  
  
"Let's see how they take this."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Admiral Sakar Telis had been put in charge of Confederation Trade Convoy Eleven because of his extensive anti-piracy experience and because of his diplomatic skills. High Command knew that if the Alliance got tough, it would require delicate negotiations to get them out of it.  
  
"Admiral, forward sensors are detecting a fleet at the edge of our territory!" Sakar's tactical officer reported with a frown. "Numbers are in the uppers eighties to lower nineties."  
  
"All ships to red alert," Sakar ordered as the convoy continued to approach the fleet. "Order all ships to come to rest outside of maximum weapons range. And send a mess to the capitol, it should only take a few arns for them to get help here."  
  
Sakar's mind raced with the possibilities ahead of him and the ways that he could avoid conflict. He knew that if he opened fire on the ships, that he would start another major war, one that the Confederation would have to throw all of its effort into.  
  
But on the other hand, the trade ships in his care had to reach their destination. A large part of the Confederation's lifeblood was based on commerce with the neighboring stars, and if that trade stopped, a large part of the Confederation's economy would crumble.  
  
He hoped that he would either be able to resolve the situation himself, or help would arrive from the capitol three arns away.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"WHAT!" High Fleet Admiral Garesh Tirik shouted as he came out of his chair and glared at the communications terminal aboard the command cruiser Reven. The Confederation's flagship was the most modern command cruiser in the fleet, equipped with an extensive communications suite.  
  
"Sir, Admiral Telis reports that his convoy has encountered an Alliance fleet at the border. He reports that he is maintaining his position until further orders," the ship's Communications Officer reported.  
  
"Helm, get us underway! Full speed to the border," Garesh ordered as he returned to the command chair. "Communications: order the fourteenth battle cruiser squadron and the eleventh light cruiser to escort us. Navigation, how long will it take us?"  
  
"Three-point-four arns," the officer reported and Garesh nodded.  
  
The ship and its assigned escorts were underway immediately, having the advantage of warm drives to increase their reaction time.  
  
Garesh typed out a quick message to Tian and then another to Admiral Telis, telling the Queen what was happening and informing the Admiral that help was on its way.  
  
Garesh rubbed his chin as he watched the holo-grid and the accelerating detachment. If the Alliance had a fleet on the border, there were only two real possibilities. They were either giving a show of force, something to warn the Confederation that they meant business, or they were going to blockade their territory against Confederate merchants.  
  
Tian had warned him that the Alliance was unhappy about the Confederations demand that no armed vessels enter their territory, and she had warned him that they would probably try to get their point across.  
  
But this was one hell of a way to do it...  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Sir, the Trade convoy and its escorts have come to a complete stop outside of weapons range. We're receiving a hail from the flagship," Rommie announced as she activated the communications screen.  
  
"This is Admiral Sakar Telis, Commanding Officer of Confederate Trade Convoy Eleven, you are in violation of interstellar law by preventing my passage."  
  
"Wrong, Admiral," Dylan said with a shake of his head. "You are in violation by attempting to bring armed vessels into my territory without authorization."  
  
"The Confederation does not need authorization from Alliance Command to bring merchant escorts."  
  
"I am merely returning the favor, Admiral," Dylan said with a wry smile. "The merchants may pass through, but any armed vessel that crosses the territorial border of the Alliance will be considered a hostile vessel and will be boarded or fired upon."  
  
"Captain, I'm warning you. I have already received a message from Confederate Command," the admiral glanced at a display. "High Fleet Admiral Tirik is en route aboard the command cruiser Reven with an escort detachment."  
  
"Good," Dylan said with a nod. "Then we can resolve this when he gets here."  
  
Dylan cut the communications circuit and smiled slightly. He was definitely provoking the Confederation by blockading their trade with Alliance systems. But he knew that the other members of the Alliance fully supported his actions, especially the Luxon and Ilanics.  
  
He watched as the Confederate merchant ships edged backward and the armed escorts moved to the front of the formation, just in case the Alliance ships decided to attack instead of just pose.  
  
"All ships report weapons ready and targets acquired," Tyr reported with a smile.  
  
"Acknowledged," Dylan said with a nod.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Over three arns passed as the Reven and her escorts sliced through space at maximum military speed.  
  
As they closed on the trade convoy, the communications section of the flagship was overwhelmed by messages and transmissions from the various merchant cartel ships in the convoy. The department filtered all of the unnecessary messages out and left only the military messages to be looked at.  
  
"Sir, Admiral Telis reports that there has been no change in the situation. The Alliance continues to blockade the convoy."  
  
"Acknowledged," Garesh said with a nod as the holo-grid blossomed with information.  
  
He spotted the Alliance fleet and glanced at the various designs and markers throughout. One particular ship, the only one of its class in the convoy, was at the head of the formation.  
  
"What is that ship?" Garesh asked as the computer listed the ship's heavy armament.  
  
"That is the Andromeda Ascendant," Garesh's tactical officer reported. "It's the Alliance Flagship, Sir."  
  
"Their Flag also, eh? Hail them," Garesh ordered as he straightened his uniform.  
  
The image on the holo-screen was not what Garesh had expected of the commanding officer of the Alliance Flagship. He was not particularly old, nor was he particularly ugly.  
  
"This is High Fleet Admiral Garesh Tirik, Commanding Officer of the Confederate Fleet. What exactly do you think you are doing?"  
  
"I am returning a favor," the man said simply with a slight smile. "It is now the policy of the Alliance that no armed vessels will be allowed to escort merchant ships into our territory. The unarmed ships in the convoy will be allowed to pass, but not the warships."  
  
"What do you mean you are returning a favor? We have never blockaded your systems."  
  
"No, but you have denied our merchants the use of armed escorts, so we are doing the same," Dylan said with a shrug.  
  
"You have no right-"  
  
"And you have no right to deny our merchants the protection that you so zealously defend for you own vessels," Dylan interrupted. "Can you guarantee that there are no pirates in your territory? Can you guarantee that your Halosian ships will not attack our merchants? Is it not true that a Halosian destroyer attacked one of your own merchants?"  
  
"That was an isolated case!" Garesh argued. "One destroyer attacking a single merchant, it was a case of mistaken identity."  
  
"If an armed vessel were to attack an entire convoy of unarmed vessels, it is unlikely that any of them would survive long enough to get an alarm out." Dylan shook his head. "I speak for the Alliance when I say that you have a choice to make. You can either allow our merchant escorts into your territory or your merchants can suffer the loss of business with the Alliance."  
  
Garesh growled and switched off the com.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"They mean business, Your Majesty," Garesh informed Queen Tian Erasa.  
  
"What would you suggest?" Tian asked with a frown.  
  
"If you don't want the merchant cartels tearing you apart, we're going to have to go along with the Alliance's demands. Either we allow their ships into our territory or our merchants go without escorts."  
  
"Damn it, Garesh," Tian said as she paced. "Fine, damn it tell the damn Alliance that their ships will be allowed into our territory. But tell them we don't appreciate the strong arm tactics."  
  
Tian cut the signal and continued to pace. Her first face-off with the Alliance and she had lost because the merchant cartels had so much power in the Confederation. If she were to anger them, they could cut off their funding to the Confederation military and the Confederate members would be forced to raise tax rates to pay for the increased defense demands.  
  
She shook her head as she sat back down and took a sip of tea.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Dylan smiled as the Andromeda slipped into the docking bay in the Fredis system.  
  
The outgoing merchant convoys were being escorted by destroyers specifically set aside for that purpose. His victory over the Confederation on the matter of merchant escorts had solidified his position as one of the Alliance's leaders, as if that position had been in doubt.  
  
He shook his head as he stood and started for the door.  
  
"Sir, there is a message coming in from Fredis Command from Alliance High Command in Alleghany marked urgent for you," Rommie said with a frown. "Its heavily encrypted."  
  
Dylan nodded and stepped into his ready room.  
  
"Decrypt and play message," Dylan ordered as he sat in the comfortable arm chair.  
  
"Dylan," it was Leo Tiral. "We have a situation. This message was received from the Coalition High Command this morning."  
  
Another face took the screen. Dylan recognized it as the face of the Peacekeeper's Magistrate Ivar Nirant.  
  
"I am Magistrate Ivar Nirant, Ruler of the Peacekeepers and leader of the Coalition. This message is meant for the Alliance High Command in the Allegheny System and is endorsed by the whole of the Coalition High Command. I bring a request that a cease-fire be called between our forces and peace talks commence as soon as possible. We realize that the Alliance is too powerful a foe to face and that peace is the only solution to this conflict without the loss of many more lives and the collapse of the Coalition governments."  
  
Dylan's jaw dropped as he leaned back in the chair and wondered about the possibilities. 


	21. Resolution

Commonscape  
  
By: Griffin  
  
Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me.  
  
Note: Most of the Andromeda crew is current as far as about 3 months ago. Farscape crew is quite a bit older.  
  
Author's Note: Sorry about the lengthy delay to all of the faithful readers.  
  
Summary: A truce settles between the Alliance and the Coalition, but will it lead to peace?...  
  
Resolution  
  
Dylan Hunt sat in a comfortable arm chair onboard the Andromeda Ascendant reviewing the most recent messages from Alliance High Command.  
  
The Coalition was truly looking for peace, their fleets were standing down from combat positions all along the border and they were offering concessions that would allow the Alliance to maintain a powerful position against the remainder of the Coalition territories.  
  
In the back of his mind Dylan smelled a trap, but the Alliance was too eager to cease the conflict, especially the Luxon and Ilanics who had been fighting the Scorvians for decades. The Independent Worlds wanted to restart trade with the Coalition and Confederation territories without the threat of armed conflict.  
  
The Castilians and Mobian peoples were also tiring of sending their warships to another galaxy to fight an enemy they had never even seen and would likely never meet. Their leaders were complaining about the loss of material they had incurred and the danger they were open to because a good portion of their fleets were elsewhere.  
  
The Sabra-Jaguar were eager to get their fleets back into position on their border with the Drago-Katsov, who were starting to realize that the Sabra- Jaguar were not really paying all of their attention to the dangerous Nietzschean Empire in their front yard.  
  
John Crichton and his band wanted peace. Ka' Dargo wanted to return to the Luxon territories with Chiana and settle down amongst his people. Rygel wanted to return to the Hynerian territories and reclaim his throne from his usurper. John and Aeryn had requested permission to join the crew of the Andromeda and Dylan had accepted, though he had yet to decide what capacity they would serve at first  
  
And deep down, Dylan wanted peace in this sector. He had been fighting the Coalition for months, losing battles and ships and people. He was tired of fighting, and he knew that if the Coalition and Alliance could form a peaceful settlement, it would not be soon that the two would be fighting. The Coalition would have their hands full with the Scarren Empire and the Alliance would be occupied rebuilding their colonies and expanding their internal trade networks between the Restored Commonwealth and the Alliance's members on this side of the Universe.  
  
Dylan leaned back and frowned in thought as he poured himself a glass of brandy.  
  
"To peace," he whispered.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Magistrate Ivar Nirant smiled slightly as he sat back in his lush offices on Sebatia.  
  
The peace talks with the Alliance were progressing better than he had hoped. The Alliance's negotiators seemed to want peace at almost any cost and they weren't pushing very hard for concessions further than what he had told his negotiators was the limit.  
  
He had told his negotiators to allow the Alliance to maintain the current positions along the borders with the Hynerians and Peacekeepers in return for the Scorvian and Nebari systems. The Alliance negotiators had requested that Alliance be allowed to maintain at least one of the captured systems from each of the Coalition members for security and Ivar had reluctantly agreed.  
  
With a truce in place with the Alliance, the Coalition had turned most of its military attention to the Scarren Empire, doubling the number of ships on the border between the two groups, evening the playing field significantly. The Scarrens were already starting to realize that the Coalition's attention was no longer divided and they were slowly their attacks and beginning to settle into more defensive positions, another positive occurrence for the Coalition.  
  
And to top it all off, Operation Tunneler was well on its way to completion. Ivar knew that the Scarrens would be the first target of the operation's results and after that perhaps some exploring would be in order.  
  
All in all Ivar was very happy with the way things were turning out and was very ready to relax some now that the conflicts were settling down...  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Well folks that's it for CommonScape :-) I hope you have all enjoyed what started out as a stray thought in one of my classes and turned it this.  
  
For those of you that want some Andromeda-side action, keep an eye out for my upcoming story "Return to CommonScape" where John and Aeryn will see things on the other side of the looking glass.  
  
I don't have a definite time frame for the first chapter, but I think that it will be before I go on vacation in April.  
  
Thanks to all of the readers that continued to read this throughout last year and for all of the encouragement and input I have received from all of you.  
  
Later! 


End file.
